iNTOUCH Jan 2010 by Tokyo American Club

毎月一回一日発行

TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB

第四十三巻二十七号

トウキョウアメリカンクラブ

iNTOUCH January 2010

i N T O U C H

インタッチマガジン二〇十〇一月一日発行

TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB

平成三年十二月二十日第三種郵便物許可定価八００円本体七七七円

Turbocharged Career

Japan’s most successful Formula One driver, Takuma Sato, talks about life in the fast lane

Issue 538 • January 2010

Something Old. . .

Wired Nation

Fostering a Home

Two weddings tie one family’s history to Azabudai

A tech-savvy Member talks the future of communication

One Tokyo shelter benefits from Women’s Group support

library

Nurturing Bookworms

recreation Canny advice for parents on developing their children’s knack for reading from an early age is proffered by Member Marsha Rosenberg, a speech and language pathologist. recreation

Hooked on Healthy Habits Member and mother of two Megan Kong accelerates her lifestyle-altering health kick courtesy of the Club’s extensive fitness program lineup.

contents

2 Contacts

4 Events

6 President 7 Management

inside japan

8 Food & Beverage

Back to Nature

12 Library

A trove of priceless Asian art, the recently renovated Nezu Museum in Minami Aoyama exemplifies heralded architect Kengo Kuma’s vision of restoring the lost harmony between nature and buildings.

16 Video Library

feature

18 Committees 20 Recreation

24 Women's Group 28 Feature

34 Genkan Gallery

A Passion for Pace

36 Talking Heads

Japanese speed sensation Takuma Sato gunned onto the racing scene a decade ago, dominating race after race on his well-earned way to the pinnacle of motorsport competition, Formula One. Out of the driver’s seat for more than 18 months, Sato tells iNTOUCH about his fueled ambitions to return to the grid.

38 Redevelopment

42 Member Services 48 Inside Japan 50 Out & About 52 Event Roundup 60 Tokyo Moments

iNTOUCH

Editor Nick Jones

To advertise in iNTOUCH, contact Miyuki Hagiwara: marketing@tac-club.org 03-4588-0976

Designers Ryan Mundt Jasmine Lai

For Membership information, contact Mari Hori: mari.hori@tac-club.org 03-4588-0687 Tokyo American Club 4–25–46 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108–0074

www.tokyoamericanclub.org

editor@tac-club.org

Production Assistant Yuko Shiroki Assistant Editor Wendi Hailey Design Assistant Miki Amano Communications Manager Matthew Roberts

Management Michael Bumgardner General Manager gm@tac-club.org

Shuji Hirakawa Human Resources Director hum_res@tac-club.org

Bob Sexton Assistant General Manager agm@tac-club.org

Linda Joseph Administrative Services Director gmoffice@tac-club.org

Lian Chang Information Technology Director itdir@tac-club.org

Mutsuhiko Kumano Finance Director finance@tac-club.org

Darryl Dudley Engineering Director eng@tac-club.org

Michael Marlay Food & Beverage Director fboffice@tac-club.org

Alistair Gough Redevelopment Director projdir@tac-club.org

Scott Yahiro Recreation Director recdirector@tac-club.org

Getting in Touch Department/E-mail American Room

Phone 4588-0675

americanroom@tac-club.org

Banquet Sales and Reservations

4588-0977

banquet@tac-club.org

Beauty/Hair Salon

4588-0685

Catering

4588-0307

banquet@tac-club.org

Childcare Center

4588-0701

child-care@tac-club.org

Communications

4588-0262

comms@tac-club.org

Engineering

4588-0699

eng@tac-club.org

Finance

4588-0222

acct@tac-club.org

Fitness Center

4588-0266

fitness@tac-club.org

Food & Beverage Office

4588-0245

fboffice@tac-club.org

Foreign Traders’ Bar

4588-0677

fb_bar@tac-club.org

Garden Café

4588-0705

gardencafe@tac-club.org

General Manager’s Office

4588-0674

gmoffice@tac-club.org

Library

4588-0678

library@tac-club.org

Logan Room

–

rec@tac-club.org

Membership Office

4588-0687

membership@tac-club.org

Member Services Desk

4588-0670

tac@tac-club.org

Mixed Grille

4588-0676

mixed.grille@tac-club.org

Pool Office

4588-0700

pool@tac-club.org

Recreation Services Desk

4588-0681

recdesk@tac-club.org

Recreation Office

4588-0240

rec@tac-club.org

Redevelopment Office

4588-0223

redevelopment@tac-club.org

Special Events

4588-0204

specialevents@tac-club.org

The Spa

4588-0714

spa@tac-club.org

Video Library

4588-0686

video@tac-club.org

Vineyards

4588-0978

vineyards@tac-club.org

Weddings

4588-0671

banquet@tac-club.org

Women’s Group Office

4588-0691

wg@tac-club.org

Youth Activities ya@tac-club.org

2 January 2010 iNTOUCH

4588-0250

from the

editor

The whole point of being a kindergartner is to explore your surroundings while being blissfully unaware of any boundary between fantasy and reality. Since children’s cartoons offer a perfectly legitimate window to the world (at least as far as their viewers are concerned), answering the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with the reply, “A superhero,” seems pretty reasonable. In a 2008 Forbes magazine survey of kids and their dream jobs, such occupations as princess and Spider-Man proved popular choices. Yet as children get older and more acquainted with real professions, doctor, nurse, vet, athlete, teacher, actor, dancer, pilot, pop star and astronaut replace the fantastical on career wish lists. But how many youngsters actually achieve their ambitions later in life? In a poll carried out for the creative and cultural industries in Britain in 2005, around 30 percent of respondents said that they had dreamed during childhood of having some kind of creative job. Just 11 percent, however, had managed it. For most people, ambitions change as often as life’s fortunes: exams are failed, skills are honed, interests become obsessions, boredom sets in, and so on; a raft of variables affects what we finally end up doing for a living. Incredibly, Takuma Sato managed to never lose sight of his boyhood fantasy. As he explains in this month’s cover story, “A Passion for Pace,” after watching his first Formula One race at Suzuka Circuit as a 10-year-old, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. And while he may have charted a more conventional course for a while, he did eventually realize that outsized dream. On October 13, 2002, he returned to Suzuka, only this time he was behind the wheel of an F1 car. It was the last race of his debut season. He finished fifth. It’s an inspiring tale for all youngsters, but I wonder, what do you do for an encore when fantasy really does become reality? If you have any comments about anything you read in iNTOUCH, please e-mail them to editor@tac-club.org, putting “Letter to the Editor” in the subject title of the mail.

contributors Brett Bull

Gaby Sheldon

Originally from Newport Beach, California, Brett Bull made the jump across the Pacific more than nine years ago to work for a Japanese construction company. Now, when he’s not working as an engineering consultant to two construction companies in Tokyo, he regularly contributes feature stories to Variety, Sports Illustrated, CNN Traveller, Metropolis and iNTOUCH magazines, as well as to The Japan Times newspaper. Bull also writes for his own news website, The Tokyo Reporter (www.tokyoreporter.com), which focuses on short, offbeat stories. In this month’s Inside Japan on pages 48 and 49, he interviews Japanese architect Kengo Kuma about his work in renovating the recently reopened Nezu Museum in Tokyo. When not running after her two small children, teaching English or drinking coffee, Gaby Sheldon likes to write. Having worked as a journalist and editor in London, she moved to Tokyo in March 2007 with her family. She says writing for iNTOUCH and other publications catering to Japan’s expat community allows her to learn more about the country while satisfying her natural curiosity. Sheldon also volunteers as the director of communications for the Women’s Group and is one of the organizers of this month’s International Preschool and Kindergarten Fair. With a penchant for karaoke and “The X Factor” (Britain’s answer to “American Idol”), she is not so keen on motor shows, as she discovered when she visited Tokyo’s (see page 60).

www.tokyoamericanclub.org For the latest Club news, schedule of events, class registration and more, check out the Tokyo American Club website. And remember, you can read this month’s iNTOUCH there, as well as previous issues, too. Words from the editor 3

1 What’s happening in

January

Tuesday

Friday

Saturday

2–31

Saturday– Sunday

Club Closure The Club shutters its doors for the New Year holiday. The facilities reopen on January 2.

Banishing Back Pain Tips to stave off back pain and strain are dished out during free 30-minute sessions at the Fitness Center this month. Get the details on page 23.

Pore Pampering at The Spa Receive a free rejuvenating Ella Baché Icy Cleansing Soap Bar from The Spa’s new line of products when booking a facial treatment. See page 23 for more.

12–24

12–28

Tuesday– Sunday

Tuesday– Thursday

Thursday

Self-Defense Schooling Learn useful, straightforward moves and boost selfconfidence with the Israeldeveloped Krav Maga martial arts sessions. Check out page 23 for more.

Pinot and Pork An innovative pairing experience of succulent pork dishes and supple, velvety Pinot Noir is served up for a limited time in Mixed Grille. Lunch and dinner. Call 03-4588-0676 to reserve.

Vietnamese Feast Warm up with a bowl of Vietnamese noodles, jasmine tea and mango pudding Tuesday through Thursday in Garden Café. Details are on page 11.

New Moms and Babies Get-Together Qualified nurse Ann Tanaka explains the ins and outs of the first years of motherhood at this informative Women’s Group session. 3:45–5:15 p.m. ¥2,000. Sign up at the Member Services Desk.

Monday

Monthly Program Karen Hill Anton recounts her family’s one-year journey from Europe to Afghanistan and subsequent relocation to Japan in the early 1970s during this Women’s Group luncheon. Learn more on page 26.

Toddler Time A fresh session of fun and engaging activities for preschoolers kicks off at the Library. 10:30 a.m. No sign-up necessary.

Sunday

Tuesday

Sunday

Thursday

Spring Classes Registration Tackle a fascinating hobby and make new friends with more than 50 classes, from cooking to language to art, on offer from the Women’s Group. 9 a.m. For more on this year’s new courses, flip to page 26.

Annual Golf Kickoff Party A social gathering for the Club’s golf fanatics ahead of a season of thrills on Kanto’s fairways and greens. 6:30 p.m. Banquet Rooms. Sign up at the Recreation Services Desk.

Monday

Salsa Session Members are invited to learn the basic dance steps and enjoy a sultry performance at this exciting, hour-long trial session of salsa. 6:30 p.m. Head to page 23 for more.

Early Literacy Member and speech and language pathologist Marsha Rosenberg offers advice on how to develop your child’s reading ability. See page 12 for a preview of this enlightening event.

Get Acquainted Coffee Meet new people and learn about the Women’s Group at this relaxed winter gathering. 10 a.m. Banquet Rooms. Contact the Women’s Group Office to arrange for free childcare.

Saturday

New Year Workshop Children fashion their own traditional hagoita wooden paddle at this creative session. Get the details on page 23.

Sunday

Angel Campaign Ends The final day for this annual Women’s Group fundraiser, which supplies opportunities for those in need in Tokyo and beyond.

Thursday

Sunday

Parent-Child Book Group Young reading fans are joined by their moms and dads for lively monthly discussions of a featured title. Read more on page 14.

Tuesday

International Preschool and Kindergarten Fair Parents can discover a trove of education options with more than 30 Tokyo schools present to give info and answer questions. 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Open to the public.

Coming up in

February 8 Super Bowl XLIV at the Club 11–13 Sapporo Snow Festival Tour 13 Father-Daughter Dinner Dance 24–25 Asian Home Furnishings Sale

4 January 2010 iNTOUCH

EVENTS

Tuesday

Back from Vacation The Women’s Group Office reopens after the holidays.

Friday

Saturday

Monday

Seven Lucky Gods Walking Tour This Women’s Group circuit of auspicious temples in historic Yanaka to honor the seven deities of good fortune is the perfect way to kick off 2010. Sign up at the Member Services Desk.

Father-Daughter Dinner Dance Registration This traditional event for dads and their little girls is a sellout each year. Sign up early for an evening of delicious food, gifts and photos on February 13. For more, flip to page 23.

Exhibition Opening Acclaimed Vietnamese artist Tuan Trinh’s poignant lacquer paintings, depicting inner beauty and spirit, are showcased at the Genkan Gallery. Read more about his inspired works on page 34.

Friday

Saturday

Library Book Group The Club’s band of literature lovers gathers to discuss Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary over espressos. 12 p.m. Vineyards. Learn more on page 14.

A Taste of Schug Sample three decades of dedicated California winemaking with this friendly tasting at Vineyards. ¥1,000. Read about vineyard trailblazer Walter Schug on page 9.

Early Pregnancy and Birth Planning Qualified nurse Ann Tanaka helps parents-to-be prepare for the arrival of their bundles of joy during this Women’s Group class. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. ¥7,000. Sign up at the Member Services Desk.

Sumo Stable Tour Morning wrestling practice at a Ryogoku stable is followed by a visit to the nearby Edo Tokyo Museum and lunch at a chankonabe eatery. For more on this Culture Committeesponsored tour, flip to page 19.

23–24

Friday

Saturday

Saturday– Sunday

Enoshima Spa Tour Escape to a revitalizing, coastal hot-spring spa with scenic outdoor pools, indoor tubs and a full menu of massage treatments. Sign up for this Women’s Group getaway at the Member Services Desk.

Trip to KidZania Youngsters try their hands at 80-plus dream jobs in this fascinating “city” designed just for them. See more on page 23.

New Year Workshop Kids create their own maneki neko welcome cat, a traditional Japanese lucky charm, at this funfilled workshop. A second session for hagoita wooden paddles will be held January 30. Details on page 23.

Birth Preparation for Couples Two invaluable days that will get you ready for labor, birth and beyond. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. ¥36,000. Sign up for this Women’s Group class at the Member Services Desk.

29–31

Tuesday

Toddler Time A fresh session of fun and engaging activities for preschoolers kicks off at the Library. 10:30 a.m. No sign-up necessary.

Friday

Chehalem Meet the Winemaker Dinner Winemaker Harry Peterson-Nedry showcases Oregon’s renowned Pinot Noirs and a bevy of luscious whites at this mouthwatering Vineyards affair. Turn to page 8 for more.

Friday– Sunday

TAC Premier Classic Squash Tournament The on-court competition at the Club heats up as 170 professional squash players battle it out for top honors at this first-time contest. Ask at the Recreation Services Desk for details.

Saturday

Squash Tournament Social The three-day pro squash tournament pauses the action for an entertaining, invite-only cocktail event. 6:30 p.m. Banquet Rooms.

Bad Parking Day

Noteworthy dates for the month 5

PRESIDENT

Behind the Scenes at TAC by Lance E Lee

very year after the election, the BOG and Chairs receive an orientation that is given by our GM. Prior to the orientation the President is asked to give some opening remarks and I want to share with you what I said: This is my opportunity to thank the Committee Chairs, Governors and our staff for their support and assistance during my first year as president. The year has passed quickly, and I approach each day of my term with excitement, passion and a firm sense of responsibility to do everything that I can to make our Club a better place for everyone. Our final year in Takanawa is upon us and we will soon transition to our new Club in Azabudai. Joint efforts by TAC leadership and management to iron out any wrinkles and ensure a smooth “landing” are being made. My belief that the foundation of TAC is its people—both the diverse Membership and the outstanding staff who work to serve our needs—remains strong and every day I witness how true it really is. This is YOUR Club and a Membership that YOU earned. Whatever you do to improve the Club environment for Members is a huge and invaluable investment, and you will reap the rewards by our Members’ appreciation and recognition of your efforts. TAC continues to amplify an ambience of welcome toward all its Members. When one feels welcomed and enticed, it makes repeated visits that much more pleasurable. As usage becomes frequent, interest and curiosity may grow regarding how TAC provides its services. This is when the Club leadership can help guide Members to forums where their input can benefit others. We have designated committees overseeing all areas of our Club; their discussions lead to requests that are brought to the Board for deliberation. As owners of the Club, you have a voice; always remember that it counts. This attitude of inclusion is vital, and I will continue to work to utilize the talents of our committee members and governors

Board of Governors Lance E Lee—President (2010) Tim Griffen—Vice President (2010) Jerry Rosenberg—Vice President (2011) To be appointed—Treasurer Amane Nakashima—Secretary (2011) Norman J Green (2011), William Ireton (2010), Hiroyuki Kamano (2010), Per Knudsen (2010), Jeffrey McNeill (2011), Brian Nelson (2010), Rod Nussbaum (2010), Mary Saphin (2011), Mark Schwab (2010), Dan Stakoe (2011), Dan Thomas (2010), Deborah Wenig (2011), Ira Wolf (2011), Shizuo Daigoh—Statutory Auditor (2010), Barbara Hancock—Women’s Group President

to enhance transparency in TAC’s governance. I am confident that this will inspire continued unity within the Club leadership and management. I will always do my part in voicing the opinions of our Members and, together with your help, make the necessary changes that will establish TAC as a first-class club in Asia that thrives truly by its members and for its members, and, most importantly, a club that is GOVERNED by its members. When Members come together to interact and relax, TAC shows its full potential. In these tough economic times, pursuing a higher quality of life can be a luxury. Being a Member of TAC grants us this luxury, but we need to stay involved and retain our Club as a place where we can rejuvenate and gain inspiration to take on the challenges outside. With your help, each of us can reach out to our Membership on a regular basis by introducing ourselves and our families to Members we often see but don’t quite know yet. If you see someone without a smile, give them yours and introduce yourself. TAC is a social club, so, when at TAC, be social. I thank you for this privilege of serving you. o

azabudai

update

by Wendi Hailey

Ayano Sato

The end of the year was commemorated on the construction site with a large-scale mochi tsuki ceremony on December 25. Hundreds of workers took part in the auspicious New Year custom, pounding steamed rice into a sticky paste with a heavy mallet. In the late fall, construction company Takenaka hosted representatives from its divisions in Malaysia, Thailand and Europe. “We had several visitors from our overseas branch offices,” says site supervisor Ryota Sekiguchi. “They got a strong impression about the size of this project.” Work on the new Club facilities resumes after the New Year holidays on January 4. Concrete placement was completed up to the first level prior to the break, and, in the first months of 2010, the building should continue to move visibly aboveground. o

6 January 2010 iNTOUCH

MANAGEMENT

On the Homestretch by Michael Bumgardner

elcome to the year of the tiger. As we start 2010, the traditional Chinese zodiac can provide some indication of how the coming year might unfold. The year of the tiger is usually associated with massive change and social upheaval. We can expect, therefore, that 2010 will be a year of volatility, both in world affairs and in people’s personal lives. Given the current economic and political challenges facing us all, this appears likely. Your Club has not gone unscathed in the global economic slump, with the lives of many Members and, indeed, the total number of Members affected. Historically, the Club’s Membership has pulled together to ensure the Club’s continued success in trying times. This is one such period. Your Club needs your support to help it continue to provide the top-notch facilities, products and services you have come to expect. Whether it’s sponsoring an acquaintance for Membership, bringing your family to brunch or holding your company meetings at the Club, there are a myriad of ways to keep your Club strong. This year will be our last at our temporary home, and, as such, the events planned for 2010 will be the final time they will be hosted in our Takanawa facilities. One of the first will be the annual breakfast bash for the Super Bowl. Held at the Club on Monday, February 8, this popular event is a real American tradition and provides a way for all our non-American Members to enjoy a little taste of US culture. Due to the time difference, football fans are still able to savor the excitement of this classic game—just early in the morning. Come and support your favorite team or just enjoy the revelry. Flip to page 18 for the details. As we count down to our return to Azabudai and the wonderful facilities currently being built, anticipation will grow. Our Communications team is working hard on collating all the

Michael Bumgardner General Manager

information to facilitate a smooth transition for Members and staff. A not-so-small part of this process is the ongoing effort by the House Committee to review all of our House Rules for applicability to the new Club. Your fellow Members on the committee are working their way through each of the rules, developing a recommendation and then sending it to other standing committees before making any final decision on revisions. To date, they have looked at such varied subjects as parking, guest registration, smoking and the use of Membership cards. They aim to finalize the new House Rules for Azabudai in the spring. As announced at November’s Annual General Meeting (see page 59 for photos from the evening), the Board has approved closing the Takanawa premises on December 26. We will be serving our traditional Christmas dinner and then shutting the doors for good. The present plan is to open the Azabudai Club on January 18, 2011. This date, however, will be a “soft” opening and mark the beginning of a phased commencement of Club operations. Due to the size and complexity of the new facilities, we need to orient the staff with their new surroundings to guarantee a smooth running of the different areas of the Club. A grand opening will be announced once we have finalized the details. In the meantime, we encourage you to make the most of the Club’s final year in the beautiful environs of Takanawa. o

Executive remarks 7

meet the winemaker

dinner

The Best of

Both Worlds by Wendi Hailey

hough lacking the seductive tourist appeal of its southerly neighbors, Oregon’s vineyards have begun turning heads on the international wine scene in recent years, with some critics contending that the state’s top-end Pinot Noirs rival those of their poised French counterparts. Possessing a cool coastal climate, Willamette Valley is the state’s principal wine-producing region and home to more than 200 wineries, including the highly praised Chehalem. With Pinots stealing the attention of critics and quaffers, chemistturned-winemaker Harry Peterson-Nedry made it his mission to focus equal attention on superior, cutting-edge whites upon founding Chehalem in 1990. “Making excellent reds and whites under the same label has been my overriding objective since day one, when, as a consumer, I noticed very few from any region able to wear both hats,” he says. “It became a defining reason for the brand.” The 61-year-old winemaker will highlight the pleasures of both types of wine when he hosts a convivial dinner at the Club this month. The evening, marking

8 January 2010 iNTOUCH

his inaugural visit to Japan, will provide “excellent food and matching expertise, open discussions [and] fun” to showcase Chahalem’s range of styles. The winery’s portfolio presently comprises a slight majority (60 percent) of whites, including Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. “I think white wines are underappreciated by the average American consumer, because they’ve been told that if they are serious they need to be drinking red,” he says. “And my table would suffer greatly if limited to red wines.” Taking its name from the native Calapooia Indian word meaning “gentle land” or “valley of flowers,” Chehalem grows its grapes on three distinctive vineyards, including the organically farmed Ridgecrest. With his daughter, Wynne, working as assistant winemaker, PetersonNedry produces a lineup of structured and intensely fruited wines, both single vineyard and blended, that emulate the best of the Old World styles. Raised on a North Carolina farm, Peterson-Nedry settled into a lucrative but tedious high-tech job on the West Coast in the 1970s and began to accrue a substantial

wine collection. The eventual shift from wine as a pastime to a career, he says, was “a no-brainer.” His experimental, analytical approach has remained potent as a vintner. Breakthrough developments include the launch of its unoaked INOX Chardonnay in 2002, a sparkling Riesling, planting Grüner Veltliner grapes, which are rarely grown outside of Austria and the Czech Republic, and ongoing experiments with vintage-tovintage Pinot Noir. “We’re always trying new things,” he says. “All things in balance and all things for the long-haul.” With Oregon’s 2008 vintage leaving reviewers breathless and a similarly extraordinary quality expected from last autumn’s harvest, it seems the best is yet to come. French Pinots, be warned! ®

Chehalem Meet the Winemaker Dinner Friday, January 29 7 p.m. Vineyards ¥12,000 Sign up online or at the Member Services Desk

FOOD & BEVERAGE

ith a penchant for traditional styles and fearless innovation, winemaker Walter Schug blazed trails through the vineyards of California in the 1970s. During his prolific tenure at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Napa Valley, Schug produced America’s first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend, Syrah, late-harvest Riesling and vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon. The German-born vintner’s foremost quest, however, was to craft a great Pinot Noir. He dabbled with the stubborn grapes each harvest until Phelps decided to stop making Pinot in 1980. Schug promptly launched his own label to keep alive his pet project. “There was never a moment when Pinot Noir was anything but the real object of my desire,” he has said. Six Schug varietals, including two flagship Pinot Noirs, will be uncorked alongside light canapés at a special informal tasting at the Club this month. Attendees will also be able to take home their favorite bottles at exclusive preview prices. Now in its 30th vintage, the family-run Schug Carneros Estate Winery produces contemporary classics with a palatable European flair that embody its oceanic environs near Sonoma. After more than half a century of resourceful winemaking, Schug has passed on the property—split between its Carneros and Sonoma Coast labels—to his son, Axel, but remains committed to excellence and accessibility. “I continue to treat wine with respect but not to the point where you make it so sophisticated that only the learned should dare touch it,” the 74-year-old told German newspaper The Atlantic Times last February. “That’s a bunch of malarkey.” ®

wine

tasting

Vineyard

Visionary by Wendi Hailey

A Taste of Schug Friday, January 15 6 p.m. Vineyards ¥1,000 Sign up online or at the Member Services Desk

Wines of the Month Red Hahn Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Central Coast, California This wine’s deep plum hues open with aromas of vanilla spice, followed by cocoa and cinnamon. Ripe red fruit notes with intense blackberry flavors are carried through by bold tannins and balanced acidity. This is a Cab that would pair naturally with roasted meats.

White Hahn Estates Chardonnay 2007, Provence, Monterey, California The most complete Chardonnay to date from Hahn Estates, this blend of barrel- and tank-fermented juice combines for a lush palate of tropical fruits and green apple that finishes with crisp acidity. This white would work well with seafood.

Bottle: ¥4,000 Glass: ¥800

Club wining and dining

wine

STEPevents 1 uncork

STEP 1

uncork

Grape Guide by Mark Baxter

he Club is the perfect spot for those who enjoy wine. Whether you’re an aficionado of the grape, an occasional quaffer or a nervous neophyte with a keenness to learn more about the different varietals and wine regions, the Club hosts a range of dinners and tastings to satisfy all palates. The following is a guide to the types of wine appreciation evenings that can be enjoyed over the course of the year:

STEP 2 Meet the Winemaker Dinners quaff

and Decadent Dinners With the smaller Meet the Winemaker Dinners held in Vineyards and the more formal Decadent Dinners hosted in the American Room, both formats welcome winemakers and winery owners to the Club to introduce their vintages and talk to Members about their passion. Given the popularity of these events, they are now open to non-Members at a 20 percent premium.

STEP 2

quaff

Cost: ¥12,000–¥20,000

Monthly Tastings Hosted or sponsored by the Wine Committee, these formal, educational tastings typically focus on one wine-producing region or grape and are meant to help Members gain a deeper appreciation for wine. Cost: ¥8,500–¥20,000

Wine Previews These casual, large-scale gatherings are based around a certain theme, such as New Zealand or Italian wines, enjoy! and feature as many as 90 different types poured by several vendors in the Banquet Rooms. The events, held about four times a year, provide Members a unique chance to sample a range of labels before they buy them from The Cellar at competitive prices.

STEP 3

Cost: ¥1,000–¥3,000

“A Taste of…” Events Held on the third Friday of each month in Vineyards, these relatively new gatherings are more intimate affairs designed to showcase one particular winemaker’s vintages through a single vendor. Participants often move on to another outlet for dinner afterward. Cost: ¥1,000 For a peek at this month’s wine events, turn to pages 8 and 9.

10 January 2010 iNTOUCH

STEP 3

enjoy!

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Tying the Knot at TAC Mark your big day with an unforgettable celebration of family and friends at the Club, all perfectly tailored to your specific requests. Whether you’re full of ideas for the reception or are looking for a little guidance, call our wedding executive, Chizuka Yamakita, at 03-4588-0671 to talk about how to make your special day a memorable one. (Read about two Members’ receptions at the Club on pages 38 and 39.)

Premier Party Plans Make the year of the tiger a “roaring” success by hosting your New Year bash for colleagues or friends at the Club. Just call our Banquet Sales and Reservations team at 03-4588-0977 to learn more about the range of all-inclusive cocktail party packages (from ¥5,000 per person) available.

Vietnamese Feast Indulge in delicious Vietnamese fare this month with Garden Café’s tantalizing set meal of pho noodles, mango pudding and jasmine tea. Don’t miss out on this Hanoi-inspired treat. January 12–28 Tuesday through Thursday 5–8 p.m. Garden Café ¥1,300

did you know... that Vineyards is available for private parties and group get-togethers every night of the week? Club wining and dining 11

Nurturing Bookworms Ahead of her talk at the Club this month, Member and speech and language pathologist Marsha Rosenberg offers tips on how to develop your child’s reading ability.

ne of the best predictors of a child’s success in school is his or her ability to read and write. Reading and writing skills evolve throughout an individual’s life span, but the early childhood years are the most important for literacy development. The ability to read and write does not develop naturally. Although all humans are programmed for speech, this is not the case for reading and writing, which developed only 4,000 years ago as a response to speech. Speech is automatic, but reading must be taught. Reading begins very early in life. Infants who are learning language begin to “read” their caregivers facial expressions and learn to “read” gestures. They like to listen to rhymes, play games (peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake) and begin to turn pages in board books. They also begin to use many different symbols at this time. As parents read aloud to their baby, the child starts to associate meaning with what they see and hear in books. Reading aloud to children has been found to be one of the most important activities for building knowledge for eventual reading success, and parents should start doing it early on in a child’s life. As babies grow, interaction with books will help them develop the concepts of print needed for reading. Children learn how to turn the pages and that a book has a beginning and an end. They learn how a book is held and, eventually, by parents pointing to words, they grasp that it is the print that is being read, not the pictures. This kind of parent-child interchange helps young children build vocabulary and become familiar with story structure (setting, characters, plot) and language. It’s also important for parents to not only read to their children, but also discuss what’s being read. Talking about the characters, the problems in the story, predicting what might happen, retelling the story and talking about new words all help children establish the necessary skills for reading

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LIBRARY

Words and Advice Tips on helping to develop your child’s reading skills Book and print awareness Parents need to point out to children how to turn the pages of a book and where the story begins and ends. Children need to understand that you are reading the words and not the pictures. By pointing to some of the words as you read, you can begin to develop this understanding. For older children, point out the title and author, look for lowercase and uppercase letters and talk about different types of texts and print.

Knowledge of the alphabet Marsha Rosenberg

comprehension later on. The ultimate goal of reading is to gain a clear understanding of what’s written on the page. Good comprehension depends on word recognition, as well as a child’s general understanding of language. Automaticity in reading, which makes children fluent readers, requires lots of reading. But the more children read, the more their comprehension improves. Learning to read is a lifelong process and one of the most important in ensuring academic success. But it’s crucial to get off to a good start. Helping your child develop strong language and pre-reading skills will lead to reading competency and, hopefully, a love of books. ®

Early Literacy Sunday, January 24 2–3:30 p.m. Women’s Group Classroom 3 ¥1,260 (includes one tea or coffee) Sign up or cancel at the Library or by e-mailing library@tac-club.org by January 21

Children who are beginning to read need to instantly and effortlessly recognize the letters of the alphabet. Between 2 and 4 years of age, parents can begin to sing the alphabet song, read alphabet books, identify letters of the child’s name and letters in the environment. At about 4 or 5 years of age, children begin to master the alphabetic principle: the understanding that there is a systematic relationship between letters and sounds, that a letter has a name and a sound and that some letters have more than one sound.

Phonemic awareness This is the ability to hear and manipulate phonemes: the smallest units of speech. Children need to learn that words are made up of sounds. Parents can help develop phonemic awareness by reading rhyming books, encouraging children to play rhyming games or sing songs that manipulate sounds (“Willaby Wallaby Woo,” “The Name Game”), talking about words that begin with a certain sound or identifying the first sounds of words.

Developing vocabulary Parents should read aloud a variety of book genres, including non-fiction. Talk about daily events, introduce new topics, discuss the books you read together, ask open-ended questions and share your own personal stories.

Literary gems at the Library 1

writer’s

block

David Benioff by Susan Millington

Lib ra ria n s'e r C o rn a preview of what’s on for the Club’s inquiring minds

Amanda Peet

ere it not for his 2008 best-selling novel City of Thieves, David Benioff would be better known for his movie scripts and screenplays. Based on Benioff’s grandfather’s tales of survival in the Soviet Union in World War II, City of Thieves is a story of struggle during the harshness of the siege of Leningrad. Seventeen-year-old Lev Beniov has been caught stealing from a German soldier’s corpse. Kolya is a Red Army deserter. Both face execution for their crimes, but Colonel Grechko offers them a reprieve. If they are able to find a dozen eggs for the colonel’s daughter’s wedding cake, the pair will be spared death. Lev and Kolya’s quest takes them deep behind German lines and into the surrounding countryside, where they are exposed to the desperation of starving people. Lev, as the engaging and selfdeprecating narrator, forms an unlikely friendship with Kolya, whose passions are women and chess. They are later joined by Vika, a female sharpshooter, who adds a further element of interest to this engaging, somewhat surreal, tale. City of Thieves is Benioff’s third book, after 2001’s The 25th

Hour, which he later adapted into a screenplay for a Spike Leedirected film starring Edward Norton, and When the Nines Roll Over: And Other Stories in 2004. His other screenplays include Troy (2004), The Kite Runner (2007) and last year’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The son of a former chairman of Goldman Sachs, Benioff was born in New York City and attended Dartmouth College. He later became a high school English teacher. He is married to actress Amanda Peet. ® The Library stocks City of Thieves and When the Nines Roll Over: And Other Stories.

events

Toddler Time This engaging, fun-packed session of music, song, storytelling and laughter for preschoolers returns for its first outing of the year. January 19 and 26 10:30 a.m. Library Free

Library Book Group by Charles Morris For the first monthly get-together of 2010, the Club’s band of literature lovers have selected a book that shocked a nation when it was first published in France in the mid-1800s. Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary—regarded by experts as a masterpiece—follows the exploits of a doctor’s wife, Emma Bovary, as she engages in a series of adulterous affairs in an effort to escape the tedium of her provincial life. Join us for what is sure to be a lively and provocative discussion. All are welcome. Friday, January 15 12 p.m. Vineyards

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Parent-Child Book Group Young book-reading fans are joined by their moms and dads for a lively, interactive discussion of a different title each month. Contact the Library to find out the featured book for this month’s group gathering. Sunday, January 31 4–5:30 p.m. General Manager’s Meeting Room Free Sign up at the Library

LIBRARY

new

reads The Case for God by Karen Armstrong

How the Beatles Destroyed Rock ’n’ Roll by Elijah Wald

Does God have a future in this age of aggressive scientific rationalism? Tracing the history of faith from ancient times to the present, Armstrong explores the relevance and meaning of both religion and atheism today. A renowned author of many books about religion, Armstrong is a former Catholic nun. (SM)

This intriguingly titled work proves to have little to do with the Fab Four, at least not until the very end. The book explores the relationship between black and white music in the 20th century, showing how innovative black musicians were ignored while their white counterparts assimilated and adopted their style. (SM)

Home to Roost: And Other Peckings by Deborah Devonshire

The Apprenticeship of Big Toe P by Rieko Matsuura (translated by Michael Emmerich)

This entertaining and amusing collection of writings from the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, the youngest of the six famed Mitford sisters, features delightful and often moving reminiscences, including one about the funeral of JFK, a family friend and relation. (SM)

A bestseller that attracted a cult following, this thoroughly original, provocative and imaginative tale won the Women’s Literature Prize. It tells the story of a twentysomething Japanese girl struggling with sexuality, life and the world at large. (CM)

Desert by JMG Le Clézio

Day After Night by Anita Diamant

As young Nour migrates north through the desert, readers are led into a bleak but mystical place in this moving portrait of the lives of two desert children. Lalla, too, is a denizen of this world, living in a coastal Morocco shantytown before fleeing to France, but never betraying her native ancestry. (SM)

Based on the events of the rescue of more than 200 detainees from the Atlit detention camp for Jewish immigrants seeking entry into Palestine in 1945, Diamant’s new novel offers rich portraits of female friendship and a message of hope amid an acknowledgment of life’s cruelty. (SM)

Reviews compiled by Library Committee member Susan Millington and librarian Charles Morris.

member’s choice Member: Lalitha Iyer Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

What’s the book about?

On the surface, this book is about an obsessive investigation by 15-year-old Christopher Boone into the murder of a neighbor’s dog.

What did you like about it?

Narrated by the smart and autistic Christopher, the story is told through his view on the events surrounding the dog’s death and the world at large. It’s funny on one level, but also sad.

Why did you choose it?

The contrast in the detached, logical narrative of the events by Christopher and the emotion the story evokes in the reader is very interesting.

What other books would you recommend?

Anything by Elizabeth George, Dick Francis, Lee Child and Arundhati Roy.

Literary gems at the Library 15

Northern Lights, Camera, Action by Abby Radmilovich

hat common thread do the following movies share: The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Juno, 2012 and Night at the Museum? Aside from enjoying legions of loyal followers and widespread box-office success, the titles are a handful of the more than 175 films shot on location in Vancouver, Canada. The spot, in fact, has become such a trendy backdrop for movies and television series (85-plus to date) that it has been dubbed “Hollywood North.” The booming Vancouver film industry is now the largest in Canada and third-largest in North America, pumping more than $1 billion into the local economy. Between flying to and from sets in British Columbia, A-list actors can easily be spotted around town, eating at top-notch restaurants, shopping or catching a Canucks hockey game. Hollywood may have first found appeal in its northern neighbor in the form of favorable exchange rates and lucrative tax incentives offered by local and provincial governments. And with its richly varied scenery—mountains, plains, shorelines and cityscapes—the region has had no trouble doubling for just about anywhere. Now with a thriving permanent local film industry, productions are moving over the border to take advantage of first-rate crews, equipment, studios and, still, a cooperative local government. With a population of about 578,000, Vancouver boasts many of the charms of Los Angeles and New York but remains a more manageable metropolis. In fact, it was ranked the world’s No. 1 most livable city by The Economist magazine in both 2008 and 2009. For holiday-goers hoping to stargaze, Vancouver may provide an escape more dotted with celebrities and camera crews than Tinseltown. And for those who have already visited the fair Canadian city, be sure next time you pop in a DVD from the Video Library to watch for the revealing signs that it was filmed north of the border. ® The Video Library stocks Juno, Night at the Museum and a selection of other Vancouver-filmed titles.

t v

s e r i e s

The Mentalist

by Abby Radmilovich

Viewers in the mood for a charmingly twisted crime drama need look no further than this hit CBS series. Now in its second season, “The Mentalist” trails charismatic California Bureau of Investigation consultant Patrick Jane from one macabre scene to the next after the murders of his wife and daughter by a serial killer at large. Having risen to semi-celebrity status for his (now admittedly feigned) psychic abilities, Jane continues to crack a remarkable amount of cases using his highly perceptive observational skills, little regard for protocol and unconventional sense of humor. Jane, adeptly portrayed by Australian actor and Golden Globe nominee Simon Baker (The Devil Wears Prada, “The Guardian”), is backed up by an equally brilliant cast, including Robin Tunney as no-nonsense boss Teresa Lisbon and a small unit of apprehensive yet oft-admiring agents. ® The Video Library stocks season one of “The Mentalist.”

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give it a go abort

This documentary offers Michael Jackson fans a chance to see the singer prepare for his soldout concerts, which would have taken place in London last year, through interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage. Although I’m not a great fan of Jackson’s music, I was entertained for two hours by his breathtaking performances.

Although the film fails to impress in the way it flimsily deals with time travel, the storyline is uplifting and well put together. Far from being just another romantic chick flick, the movie’s acting (Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams) is quite convincing.

This movie follows a Chicago librarian, Henry (Eric Bana), as he tries to establish a stable relationship with Clare (Rachel McAdams), despite having a rare genetic disorder that causes him to travel through time. I might have enjoyed this film more if I hadn’t had such high expectations.

An entertaining film about an illegal radio station that broadcasts from a ship off the coast of Britain that simply rocks! A fantastic cast (Bill Nighy and Philip Seymour Hoffman are amazing) and great soundtrack, too. Perfect for those days when you’re not in the mood for anything heavy.

Directed by Richard Curtis (the writer behind Love Actually and Notting Hill), this comedy is based on a true story about a band of outlandish radio deejays that defies the government by playing pop and rock music from the North Sea. Hilarious!

In this 3-D version of the classic seasonal tale from Disney, Jim Carrey does a fine job of portraying an array of characters, including Scrooge. There are some scary moments in the film, so it may not be suitable for young children. The lack of songs is a disappointment and rare for a Disney flick.

The appeal of this classic Charles Dickens story hasn’t faded, nor has its message. This 3-D animated adaptation, which features a starstudded cast, is quite dark and scary. Directed by Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express, Beowulf).

new titles

smokin' give it a go abort

Comedy

Action

Paper Heart A young skeptic wanders from one American town to the next compiling attitudes and advice on love and romance in this quasi-documentary.

Public Enemies Infamous American gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and his criminal cohorts deftly rob banks and evade the Feds in 1930s Chicago—until their luck runs out.

The Brooklyn Heist Three idiosyncratic gangs inhabiting one block in Brooklyn converge by chance on the same unsuspecting target in this blithe, genre-jumbling caper.

Inglourious Basterds An instant Quentin Tarantino classic, this wild World War II saga stars Brad Pitt as the ruthless leader of a band of JewishAmerican soldiers tasked with assassinating Nazis in occupied France.

All About Steve Offbeat crossword-puzzle creator Mary Horowitz (a golden-tressed Sandra Bullock) embarks on a cross-country pursuit of a handsome, unwitting cameraman (Bradley Cooper of “Alias”).

Suspense

American Pie Presents: The Book of Love A decade after the original blockbuster movie, three luckless teens find the legendary tome of sexual know-how on the shelves of the East Great Falls High School library. Taking Woodstock Director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) veers from the well-worn subject matter to focus on one dispirited man who inadvertently becomes part of this generationdefining festival. World’s Greatest Dad This dark, provocative film, featuring Robin Williams in an atypical role, unfolds the aftermath of untimely tragedy and consequences of rearranged history. The Hangover A debaucherous Las Vegas bachelor party leads to a hilariously hazy morning after spent piecing together the drunken misadventures.

She is Yuko Akisato, manager of the Video Library.

smokin'

A truly amazing behind-the-scenes look at the King of Pop’s rehearsals for what would have been his final stage performances. Michael Jackson’s brilliance as a singer, dancer and musician is undeniable, and it was a delight to join the crowd in a standing ovation at the end of the film.

SHE SAYS

He is Club President Lance Lee.

HE SAYS

VIDEO LIBRARY

A Perfect Getaway A leisurely Hawaiian holiday for two young, attractive couples is shattered when nefarious psychopaths turn the island paradise into a deadly tourist trap.

Documentary The Killing Room Four volunteers enrolled in a psychological research study become the unsuspecting subjects of a brutal, top-secret program linked to the US government.

Family G-Force In producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s first 3-D effort, a specially trained troop of guinea pigs is assigned to spoil a sinister billionaire’s plans to take over the world.

(500) Days of Summer Risk-all ardor meets romantic disillusion in this quirky, chaotic love story. Extract A flavoring factory owner (Jason Bateman) faces a rash of unfavorable events, from a potentially philandering wife to a set of scheming employees, in this cinematic morsel from Office Space’s Mike Judge.

Science Fiction Pandorum Two crew members awaken aboard a desolate spacecraft in the post-apocalyptic 22nd century with blurry memories and a grisly pack of flesh-eating mutants in their midst.

TV and film selections 17

The Ultimate Showdown by Wendi Hailey

ast year’s nail-biting Super Bowl was the most watched in football history, with the Pittsburgh Steelers scoring the game-winning touchdown over the Arizona Cardinals with 35 seconds left on the clock for a riveting 27-23 victory. The contest marked Pittsburgh’s record sixth championship win and witnessed the longest play in Super Bowl history—a 100-yard interception returned for a touchdown. Super Bowl XLIV promises to be another brilliant spectacle of brawn and determination as Miami’s newly renovated Dolphin Stadium plays host before a capacity crowd of 75,540. Millions of additional spectators around the world will gather around television sets in their living rooms and favorite bars as

they take part in this annual rite of winter. Football fanatics who can’t make it to sunny Florida for the big game can set their alarms early on February 8 and head to the Club to watch the epic clash live. Members and their guests can hit the New York Suite for big-screen TVs, cozy seating and a buffetstyle feast of traditional breakfast fare and game-day favorites, along with a betting pool, quiz and prizes, hosted by Member Jon Kirkwood, or take in the touchdowns from Traders’ Bar. While there’s no telling which team will nab the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy when the final seconds tick down this year, a memorable morning of gridiron action and camaraderie is a guarantee. ®

Super Bowl XLIV at the Club Monday, February 8 7:30 a.m. New York Suite (non-smoking): ¥4,200 Traders’ Bar (smoking): ¥3,150 Adults only Sign up online or at the Member Services Desk by 10 a.m. on Friday, February 5 Sponsored by the Entertainment Committee

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COMMITTEES

Joining a Committee Members interested in joining one of the committees listed should contact its chair or inquire at the General Manager’s Office.

Recreation Tim Griffen (Tim Griffen) Recreation Subcommittees Bowling Pam Jenkinson Fitness Jerry Rosenberg Golf Steven Thomas Library Michelle Arnot Brown Logan Room Diane Dooley & Susan Higgins Squash Nelson Graves & Alok Rakyan Swim Jesse Green & Stewart Homler Video Lisbeth Pentelius Youth Activities Jane Hunsaker Community Relations Scott Hancock (Jeff McNeill) Community Relations Subcommittees Distinguished Achievement Award Jeff McNeill Independence Day Dan Stakoe Sportsman of the Year Jeff McNeill

Access All Areas by Wendi Hailey

ongolian wrestler Hakuho dominated the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament last autumn with a flawless 15-0 record, knocking fellow grand champion and countryman Asashoryu to the ground on the final day in a heated contest and clinching his 12th championship title. All eyes will be on the 24-year-old yokozuna when he takes to the ring for this month’s New Year tournament, running from January 10 to 24, in Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan stadium. Members can find themselves in the midst of the behind-the-scenes excitement this year with a private tour of the Michinoku stable in Ryogoku. Participants will watch the wrestlers’ early-morning practice session with stablemaster Kazuhiro Michinoku, a former ozeki who retired in the 1990s. Afterward, they will visit the nearby

Culture Eiji Arai (Per Knudsen) Culture Subcommittee Genkan Gallery Fred Harris

Edo Tokyo Museum before sitting down to a lunch of chankonabe, sumo’s staple dish, at Michinoku’s Chanko Kirishima restaurant. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the rites of Japan’s traditional sport outside of the spectator-packed stadium—and perhaps catch a glimpse of Hakuho and other ranking wrestlers along the way. ®

Sumo Stable Tour Saturday, January 16 7:45 a.m. Meeting point: JR Ryogoku Station (west exit) ¥5,000 (includes museum admission and lunch) Adults only Waiting list only at the Member Services Desk Sponsored by the Culture Committee

Entertainment Per Knudsen (Per Knudsen) Finance Akihiko Mizuno Food & Beverage Craig Saphin (Amane Nakashima) Food & Beverage Subcommittee Wine Mark Baxter House Mary Saphin (Ira Wolf) House Subcommittee Architectural Peter Jay & Michael Miller Human Resources Victoria Muir (Barbara Hancock) Membership Mark Saft (Mary Saphin) Nominating Nick Masee

Names in parentheses denote Board liaisons.

Cornerstones of the Club 19

any Members may consider the Club’s cozy restaurants, the quiet of the Library and the bustling family areas as their home away from home. But for Megan Kong, the go-to sanctuary in Takanawa is the second-floor fitness facilities. “I’m here probably five to six days a week,” says the toned California native, sitting in the Adult Lobby one Wednesday afternoon in late November. “I’ve always been active. Probably about six months or so ago, I dedicated myself to it and

the TAC Boot Camp, which she still does once or twice a week. Each 75-minute session kicks off with a short run from the Club to the Shinagawa waterfront. Participants bring along resistance bands to perform a series of exercises and do stair drills before running back. “That’s a great class,” Kong says. “You get to exercise and be in the fresh air and sunshine. It’s nice to get outdoors and not be holed up in a gym.” Last fall, she added kickboxing to her schedule. Putting on the pads and sparring with other Members is empowering, she

Hooked on Healthy Habits One Member explains the health benefits of her new-found addiction to the Club’s vast array of fitness programs. by Wendi Hailey Photo by Irwin Wong

really wanted to get in shape and take it to another level.” Kong, 38, plunged into the Club’s myriad exercise offerings, splitting her time and expendable energy among the TAC Boot Camp, Kickboxing for Ladies, Core Conditioning and Body Dynamics classes and weekly personal training sessions. “To be able to get off the treadmill or elliptical trainer and get that good cardio release or exercise, that’s why I have taken the classes and have branched out and try to do things that I haven’t tried before, like the kickboxing class and Boot Camp,” says the mother of two. “The training is kind of addictive, at least for me. Once you start and start seeing results and you feel good and see your body change, you want to keep doing more.” The first program she signed up for was

20 January 2010 iNTOUCH

says, and the small class size produces a friendly, energetic atmosphere. She also touts her recent sessions of Body Dynamics, which include a sequence of interval training for cardio and strength. “It really pushes me,” she says. “But I like that. I like to be challenged, to be pushed, to be in pain and then get through the other side. That’s a nice feeling.” Her amped-up routine has helped her shed about 4.5 kilograms and 8 percent of her body fat, in addition to drastically improving her everyday diet habits. “It’s really more of a lifestyle change… incorporated around fitness and eating healthy and just taking care of my body,” she explains. “I eat totally different now. If I wanted a cheeseburger [before], I’d eat a cheeseburger. I never really got big—I was still average—but now it’s

totally different.” When it comes to staying healthy these days, Kong knows how to keep the temptations in check. “I just think about, ‘Do you want to try to get the six-pack abs or do you want the cheeseburger? What do you want more? You know what the cheeseburger tastes like, but you’ve never seen the six-pack abs on yourself,’” she says. “Those are the trade-offs. “But I’m not perfect,” she continues. “If I want a chocolate chip cookie, I’ll eat a chocolate chip cookie—but in moderation. I won’t have four of them like maybe I would have before. I’ll just have one or maybe half of one to get that sweet tooth taken care of and then move on. Snack-wise, it’s eating vegetables and fruits. I’m definitely more conscious of what I put in my body.”

RECREATION

Megan Kong

Relocating to Tokyo two years ago with her husband and children, ages 6 and 4, Kong says the city’s lack of drive-through windows and largely healthy cuisine have fortified her fitness resolution—although her quest for nutrition is a solo one. Her kids’ favorite vegetable, she divulges, is still the french fry. In spite of differing dietary tastes, the whole family is active in Club sports. Her husband plays pick-up basketball several times a week and works out in the Fitness Center (matching competitive streaks and a predilection for “the giggles” keep the couple from training together), while the kids play on the youth soccer teams. Her son also took up peewee basketball this season. For exercise novices, Kong recommends sampling a class and getting a personal trainer to show them around the gym

until they’re comfortable and to design an effective fitness routine. “Going to the gym and training by yourself, if you’re not used to that, can be intimidating,” she says. “You walk in there and there are all these machines and these people who know what they’re doing. That can be overwhelming.” As for her own exercise agenda in 2010, aside from her longing for six-pack abs, Kong hopes to unravel the mystery of Pilates and continuing making the class rounds. “The variety is amazing,” she says. “I’m just kind of enjoying what I’m doing now and trying to push the envelope, keep training harder and getting better.” ® For information on the range of fitness classes available at the Club, visit the Health & Recreation section of the Club website or inquire at the Recreation Services Desk.

Fitness and well-being 21

class focus Ballet This unique ballet program for children has been designed to unleash students’ self-expression, confidence and full dance potential. Children are taught in a fun, non-competitive environment using creative visual images to facilitate alignment, steps and the flow of movement. With the help of various props and inventive musical aids, young dancers learn agility, grace, poise and focus. Ballet, which is divided into four age-specific classes, runs every Thursday. The next semester begins on January 14. Ask at the Recreation Services Desk for details or check out the Health & Recreation section of the Club website.

Eynat Evon-Tov

The Instructor

Eynat Evon-Tov started ballet at age 4. She received her teaching certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance in London and has performed such classics as Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” and “Swan Lake” with the Israel Ballet. She has also studied traditional Japanese dance. Besides teaching at the Club, she instructs at several international schools in Tokyo and at her own studio in Omotesando. Evon-Tov has been featured in both the Japanese and English-language media.

Annabel and Arianna Drayton

The Students

“Eynat is an elegant teacher and gives the class a really positive air. It is a real pleasure to see how much progress the girls have made. I am a big believer in introducing children to these types of activities and would definitely recommend the ballet class to all aspiring dancers and their eager parents.” (Mariko Drayton, mother of Annabel and Arianna)

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RECREATION

what’s on Banishing Back Pain Millions of people suffer from backaches. Find out how you can wave goodbye to back pain and strain at a free, 30-minute session of ache-eliminating exercise and stretch tips. Every Saturday in January (8:45–9:15 a.m.). Contact the Fitness Center for details.

Spice Up Your 2010 Learn the hot, Latin dance moves of salsa at a fun, hour-long trial session on Sunday, January 24. Instructors Yono and Rafael will teach basic steps and offer Members a glimpse of this exciting and addictive dance style. 6:30–7:30 p.m. The Studio. ¥525. Sign up online or at the Recreation Services Desk.

Self-Defense Schooling Pick up useful, easy-to-execute self-defense moves while building up self-confidence at the Club’s Krav Maga Imi Self-Defense class. Developed in Israel in the 1950s, Krav Maga is a martial art that teaches students a variety of self-protection methods. Every Tuesday (7–8 p.m.) from January 12. Recreation Room. Sign up online or at the Recreation Services Desk.

Pore Pampering To celebrate the introduction of its new line of treatment products from Ella Baché, The Spa is giving away a free rejuvenating Ella Baché Icy Cleansing Soap Bar to every Member booking a facial treatment between January 2 and 31. Call 03-4588-0714 to make an appointment.

youth spot Career Kids Kids get to be grownups for a day at the miniature adult world of KidZania in Tokyo. From airline pilot to doctor to pizza chef to TV anchor, children can choose from more than 80 dream jobs, earn “money” and later spend it. Join this fun-packed trip on Friday, January 22, from 3:30 p.m. ¥5,500 per family (one adult and one child) or unaccompanied child. Sign up online or at the Recreation Services Desk by 6 p.m. on Friday, January 8.

Father-Daughter Dinner Dance The perennially popular Father-Daughter Dinner Dance returns on Saturday, February 13, for another evening of great food, gifts and photo sessions for dads and their little princesses in grades one to seven. 5 p.m. Sign up online or at the Recreation Services Desk from 8:30 a.m. on Monday, January 11.

New Year Workshops Usher in 2010 with some creative fun at the Club. Earn yourself good luck for the coming year by designing and painting an iconic maneki neko welcome cat (Saturday, January 23) or hagoita wooden paddle (Saturday, January 30) at two special workshops. 1–2:15 p.m. (3–7 years); 3:15–4:30 p.m. (6–12 years). ¥3,675 per workshop. Sign up online or at the Recreation Services Desk.

Fitness and well-being 23

he first sight to greet visitors and residents as they exit the Minami Senju train station is a concrete maze of walkways and slopes. Just beyond lie streets packed with residential homes, flophouses and cheap hotels. Signboards in the area advertise overnight stays for ¥1,000. Within the backstreets of this sleepy, unremarkable-looking quarter of northeastern Tokyo is an exceptional organization called Sanyukai, one of only two clinics in all of Japan that offer free medical care to the nation’s homeless.

Each morning, homeless and jobless men (and, occasionally, a few women), line up outside a small house to receive a cup of tea and a cigarette. They are also able to see a doctor if they wish, without having to worry about their lack of health insurance. The Women’s Group helps pay the shelter’s annual costs of ¥1.3 million for medicine. It also hosts an annual drive to collect clothing for those who visit the center. On this particular Thursday morning in October, an acupuncturist is seeing patients in a small consultation room in the three-story ferroconcrete building. Eleven doctors and 10 nurses in all volunteer their time and skills at Sanyukai, which was set up by French-Canadian missionary Jean Le Beau in 1984. Aside from employing 10 staff members, the nonprofit organization benefits from the efforts of approximately 175 volunteers. “With the economic situation, we are seeing a lot more homeless people,” explains Le Beau, by Gaby Sheldon a warm, unassuming 64-year-old who moved Photo by Yuuki Ide to the Japanese capital 37 years ago. “Changes in Japanese employment law have also led to more homelessness. The law used to state that people could stay in their job until retirement, whereas now employers only need to hand out contract work.” While government figures put the number of homeless in Tokyo at around 3,100, charitable organizations say the actual number is more than three times that. Many more people ended

Helping the Helpers

Through its many fundraising efforts and the donations of Members, the Women’s Group is able to help some of the thousands of homeless in Tokyo.

Jean Le Beau and Kazunori Yui

24 January 2010 iNTOUCH

WOMEN’S GROUP up on the streets at the end of 2008 when thousands of temporary workers were laid off in the economic downturn. The neighborhood in which Sanyukai operates is called Kiyokawa. Originally named Sanya, the area became known as a place for day laborers to congregate in the hope of finding work at one of the many construction sites dotted around the city. Nowadays, it is also a stopover for backpackers, drawn by the inexpensive accommodations, and a magnet for young families looking for affordable housing. As the morning wears on, more and more men arrive at Sanyukai, including Yoshihara Hanazawa. “Han-chan,” as he’s known, arrived in Kiyokawa a few months ago after losing his job in construction. “I heard that there were two job centers in this area,” he says. “At one of them, someone told me about Sanyukai, where you could get clothes, towels and razors.” Still unemployed and living in a tent in a nearby park, Hanazawa, 53, says that Sanyukai’s free medical service is what he values the most. “I have also been able to meet people,” he says. “It’s definitely given me my pride back.” In an upstairs room, the atmosphere is one of quiet concentration as 12 men (mainly users of Sanyukai) sit at a table molding and wrapping rice balls. Over the course of the morning, they will make 800 onigiri to pass out to those living in makeshift shelters along the banks of the Sumida River, a task they do twice a week. “A year ago, about 300 people would collect rice balls, compared to 500 today,” Le Beau says. “Only about 1 percent of these people are women, since, traditionally, it’s the women who stay at home and look after the children while the men go out to work. Most of these men have come from the countryside in the north of Japan,

where they were farmers. But at 50 or 60 years old, they are too old for contract work and they can’t get a place to live if they don’t have any employment. Most of them are living in tents.” Sanyukai encourages its visitors to apply for financial support from the government to allow them to pay for a place to live. For some, however, returning to mainstream society is not an option. In September, Sanyukai opened Sanyuso, just around the corner. The shelter provides accommodations for 21 men. Some have a mental illness, some an addiction, while others suffer from Alzheimer’s. Almost half of them are on medication. Recently refurbished, the Sanyuso house has two floors of single bedrooms, each with air-conditioning and its own TV, and communal dining rooms. The government supports the shelter through subsidies. “Characteristically and historically, Japanese people are hardworking, so, in general, Japanese people think that homelessness is the fault of the person,” explains Kazunori Yui, Sanyuso’s manager and counselor. “But since the economic crash last year, the homeless problem has been widely introduced to Japanese society. Pictures of Haken Mura, the shelter set up in Hibiya Park for people who had lost their jobs, were in the papers. People are now beginning to see homelessness from a different perspective.” In the meantime, Yui and his colleagues will continue to go about their work. But with the Japanese economy still in the doldrums, they are likely to see even more people joining the line outside Sanyukai each morning. ® Visit the Women’s Group website at www.tokyoamericanclubwomensgroup.org for information on donating and fundraising efforts.

An interactive community 25

monthly

program

Country Living by Gaby Sheldon

aren Hill Anton and her husband first came to Japan in 1975 “for one year.” Thirty-four years later, they are still here. While staying in Japan well beyond an intended short-term plan is not an uncommon situation, settling down in deepest rural Japan certainly is. “We had been living in Shizuoka Prefecture and just thought it seemed a nice place to stay,” Hill Anton explains. “When we found a farmhouse, high on a mountain, surrounded by tea fields and bamboo groves, we thought, ‘Wow, this is it! This is the Japan we want to live in.’” Originally venturing across the Pacific with her American husband, who had been invited to study at a local university, and their 6-year-old daughter, Hill Anton had no interest to live in the usual urban centers popular with foreigners like Tokyo and Yokohama. Having lived

in verdant Vermont after growing up in New York, city life no longer appealed to the couple. Attendees at January’s Monthly Program will be able to hear firsthand from the mother of four as she describes her incredible one-year, overland journey from Europe to Afghanistan with her family in the early 1970s before arriving in Japan and building a life here. Now a training consultant, guest speaker and member of the board of governors of Temple University, Japan Campus, the former Japan Times columnist says that after so long living outside of the United States, returning home would be difficult. “It would not be a simple matter after spending most of our lives in Japan,” she says. “Aside from the practical, such as owning land and a house here and nothing there, it would

be a pretty major cultural readjustment.” She cites Japan’s orderliness and low crime rate, as well as the politeness of its people, as aspects of society she cherishes the most. “The opposite of those things is what I would not like about living in the US,” she says. One of Hill Anton’s passions is Japanese calligraphy, which she has studied for more than 20 years. “I love everything about studying calligraphy,” she says, “the discipline, the materials and tools of the art and the possibilities for personal expression.” Three of her four children were born in Japan and spoke Japanese as their first language. According to Hill Anton, they were, “without a doubt, socialized as Japanese. It is interesting how they view themselves. I will talk about this in detail in my talk.” ®

Monthly Program: “Crossing Cultures: A Way of Life” Monday, January 18 Doors open: 11 a.m. Program begins: 11:30 a.m. Banquet Rooms Women’s Group members: ¥3,150 Non-Women’s Group members: ¥4,200 Sign up online or at the Member Services Desk

Cultural Courses by Gaby Sheldon

26 January 2010 iNTOUCH

Karen Hill Anton

For those who pledged to learn a little more about Japanese traditions and culture as one of their New Year’s resolutions, help is at hand in the form of the Women’s Group’s array of fascinating classes for the spring. Among the host of new classes on offer this year is instruction in the art of origami for parents and their children. Taught by Hitomi Hirayama,

this creative class will allow moms to craft chopstick sacks, napkin holders and ornaments from paper while their children delight in making paper animals and handmade hats. Budding artisans can also indulge themselves in Mariko Yoshino’s class when she shows students how to fashion traditional tsuribina hanging mobiles from kimono

WOMEN’S GROUP

’m a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none,” says Denise Kennerley with a laugh. But digging into her job history a little, it becomes clear that the 51-year-old New Zealander has a knack for picking up new skills and turning them into entrepreneurial success. Her first foray into the unknown was as a teacher of Kindermusik—the program of music and movement for children— while living in Singapore from 1999 until 2004. “I had no musical experience,” she says. “I was just at the right place at the right time.” Before long, she was being asked to organize children’s birthday parties and her party-planning business was born. Upon relocating to Melbourne, Australia, with her family, Kennerley soon realized that the party-planning market there was saturated and so decided to redirect her energy into scrapbooking. She became a consultant for Creative Memories, a Minnesotabased company specializing in the art of putting together albums of keepsakes, pictures and writings. Kennerley now runs scrapbooking workshops out of her home in Kamiosaki, just as she did in Melbourne and her home country, where her family returned for a stint in 2006. “Digital albums are great, but, for me, they could never replace scrapbooks,” she says. “I love to be able to create the pages myself, to choose the color of the paper, feel its texture and use actual handwriting. I have just created the first page of my Tokyo album.” The mom of three, who moved to Tokyo with her husband, Mark, and their youngest daughter in November 2008, is equally enthusiastic about her latest role as the director of social programs for the Women’s Group. Organizing speaker events and the monthly Get Acquainted Coffee sessions, she brings her experience of sitting on the Club’s Entertainment Committee to the position. “I want to bring more fun to the Women’s Group,” she explains. “I’d like to invite women from the Tokyo Comedy Store to perform and also do more speaker events for teenagers at the Club. It would be great if they could have a forum where they could ask questions about issues they are dealing with.” She adds that she would like to organize talks by successful businesswomen, too. While language can be a bane for many newcomers to Japan, it has enchanted Kennerley. “Aside from the cherry blossoms and the leaves changing color with the seasons, the language is one of the things I love about Japan,” she says. “There is so much inflection and passion in the way it’s spoken. I love listening to conversations on the train, even if I don’t understand what they are about!” Judging by the way Kennerley has applied herself to previous challenges, she should be chatting in the local lingo in no time. ®

women’s group

profile

The Program Planner by Gaby Sheldon

Denise Kennerley

cloth. Participants will even be able to add a splash of Easter-themed color ahead of the annual celebration. Elsewhere, Urara Okuhara will lead a family flower-arranging session to mark Mother’s Day in May, while those eager to venture out of Tokyo can join Toshiko Kanai’s educational day trip to the ancient

capital of Kyoto on May 21. Classes Committee co-chair Cristina Tyldum says that joining a course is “a great way to learn about culture—Japanese and others—and make new friends. The prices are also very reasonable.” Plus, won’t it feel good to have stuck with one of your resolutions beyond the first week? ®

Spring Classes Registration Thursday, January 21 9–11 a.m. Women’s Group Classrooms Online registration starts from 12 p.m. on Friday, January 22 Visit www.tokyoamericanclubwomensgroup.org to learn more

An interactive community 27

January 2007 2010 iNTOUCH iNTOUCH 28February

FEATURE

A Passion

for Pace Japan’s man of speed, Takuma Sato, talks exclusively to iNTOUCH about his years driving at breakneck speeds and his desire to get back in the cockpit. by Nick Jones

wide-eyed 10-year-old Japanese boy stood among the thousands of spectators in the stands at Suzuka Circuit soaking up motor sport’s greatest spectacle. Under an overcast sky, highly tuned machines of engineering perfection tore around the 5.8-kilometer-long track at more than 300 kilometers per hour, filling the air with an ear-splitting whine and the smell of racing-car fuel. It was a special day for Suzuka. Not only was the Mie Prefecture circuit hosting its first Formula One grand prix, but the race marked the return of the world’s premier auto sport to Japan after a decade’s absence. The events of that November weekend in 1987 are well remembered by F1 fans. The penultimate race of the season was set to be a championship-deciding battle between Williams-Honda teammates and rivals Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet. But when Mansell crashed in spectacular style during practice, Piquet was handed his third world title without even starting his engine. Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger eventually won the race, with F1 legend Ayrton Senna finishing second for Lotus-Honda

A Passion for Pace 29

and Japanese teammate Satoru Nakajima crossing the finish line in sixth place, much to the delight of the local crowd. As the top three drivers popped Champagne corks from the winners’ podium, that young boy on a day trip from Tokyo with his family was left to daydream—like many boys of his age— about perhaps one day donning a helmet and careening around a racetrack. Unlike most of his peers, however, his dream was realized less than 10 years later. “That, for me, was a sensational day,” says Takuma Sato, sitting in a Tokyo hotel conference room in October, reflecting on his formative years. “From that day onward, my heart was always in F1. I remember every moment from that day: the smells, the sounds and the atmosphere. It was an incredible feeling. That day was the start of my racing passion.” Sato, who turns 33 later this month, is Japan’s most successful F1 driver, having started in 90 races over a six-year period and climbed the podium once, in 2004, after finishing third at the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis. His racing career was put on hold in 2008, however, when his team at the time, Super Aguri, founded by former Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki, went bust partway through the season. Despite the setback in such a hugely competitive and expensive sport, which pulls in a global audience of 600 million each year, Sato says he is determined to get behind the wheel again. “To me, F1 is an unfinished job,” he says. Sato’s route to the top was quite different from that taken by most other F1 drivers. While the likes of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and current F1 champ Jenson Button started out competing in kart races as children, Sato didn’t touch a steering wheel until much later in life. Instead, he found an outlet for his speed urge through cycling. Establishing a cycling club at his high school, he began to race competitively, making it to the all-Japan high school championships. The sport partially satisfied his quest for pace and his interest in the mechanics behind velocity, but it wasn’t enough. “I was seriously thinking about the Olympic Games or all-Japan [championships],” he says. “That sort of level I really wanted to achieve when I was at school. But I never felt 100 percent satisfaction with cycling.” The trigger for Sato’s jump into the world of combustion engine-generated speed came in the incongruous setting of a university

January 2007 2010 iNTOUCH iNTOUCH 30February

lecture hall. While flicking through a motor racing magazine during a lecture for his human science course at Tokyo’s Waseda University, he spotted an advertisement for the Suzuka Racing School. Opened in 1992, the Honda-funded school was set up to nurture local talent. He applied and won a scholarship. While many parents would be less than enthusiastic about their child’s dropping out of college, Sato says his parents were fully supportive of his decision. “They knew that I had loved cars for a long time, and they didn’t stop me from challenging myself,” he says. “I

was lucky as a child to get support from my parents without any difficulty.” Graduating at the top of his class at Suzuka in 1997, he moved on to race in Japanese Formula Three. But his stay was short-lived. Sato was keenly aware that for him to succeed at the highest level, he was going to have to compete against the best. “You have to show that you deserve to be an F1 driver,” the father of two says. “To be able to do so, you have to compete among the Europeans in Formula Three. That’s why my aim was to complete British Formula Three, win a championship, win

FEATURE

Macau and then go to F1. That was my clear target.” This dogged determination and tenacity, he points out, kept him focused in the pressure-cooker environment of Formula One. “I made so many mistakes, but those only made me stronger,” he explains. “I had a lot of difficult times in F1, but you just never give up.” Relocating to Britain, he set about learning English and gaining as much racing experience as possible. Star Sports’ F1 race commentator Steve Slater recalls one incident at the Rockingham circuit from the 2001 British Formula Three

season. During practice, the drivers were having problems trying to negotiate a particular chicane. Sato was partnered with Anthony Davidson, whom he would team up with again at Super Aguri. “Come qualifying the next day, Anthony tried curb-hopping and came back to the pits and complained how dangerous it was,” Slater says. “The next thing I saw was this Formula Three car doing the most outrageous shortcut, effectively clipping the curbs and flying through the air over the center of the corner. If you can guess who that was, you can guess who was on pole

A Passion for Pace 31

position by half a second. [Sato] had sorted out his own way of tackling that issue. It was completely outrageous; I mean, the car must have been in the air for about 10 feet!” Such bold moves on the track have earned Sato large numbers of fans, but critics, too, who attacked what they saw as erratic driving. “Takuma Sato may not be the best Formula One driver on the grid, but his tendency to crash into barriers and other cars have certainly made him one of the most talked about,” said one sports website before the start of the 2008 season. An unfortunate F1 rookie year with Jordan in 2002, which saw Sato involved in a number of crashes, including a serious collision with Nick Heidfeld in Austria, earned him a reputation for being accident-prone. “At the beginning of 2002, for example, I had a lot of accidents, and the image is that I just kept crashing,” Sato says. “You can’t control the people saying that; all you can do is ignore it. It’s not nice to hear, of course, but that’s how it’s been.” But Sato is unapologetic about his driving style. Crashes, he explains, are often the result of trying to pull off overtaking maneuvers and, ultimately, win. “He’s a thinking driver, and that’s why he was British Formula Three champion [in 2001] and that’s why he won the Macau Grand Prix,” Slater says. “He’s one of the great unsung talents. Dare I say it, when he was racing in Formula Three, he made people, including Anthony Davidson, Jenson Button and some of those others look pretty ordinary.” Club Member and F1 enthusiast Rod Lappin says he always enjoyed watching Sato race. “I think he was an all-or-nothing driver and I think that’s what was exciting about him,” he says. “He was one of those guys who was always trying to get between cars; he was always trying to get in front. He was willing to push the limit a little bit and I think because of that he ended up going off a few times as a result.” Even the presenter of the popular British TV show “Top Gear,” Jeremy

January 2007 2010 iNTOUCH iNTOUCH 32February

Clarkson, jumped to Sato’s defense in one of his irreverent weekly newspaper columns following a scrape at the European Grand Prix in 2004 between the Japanese driver, who had clocked the second-fastest qualifying time, and Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello. “It was a brilliant speck of chilli in a sea of wallpaper paste,” he wrote. “But far away in the commentary box, James Allen and Martin Brundle told us it was a silly, impatient, reckless thing to do. What? Are they mad? Do they want to kill the sport? If I’d been in that commentary box, I’d have been on my feet bellowing with excitement and calling for Sato to be knighted, or gutted, or whatever it is they do to heroes in Japan.” In 2003, Sato joined British American Racing (BAR) as a test driver, finally sliding behind the wheel in the final race of the season. He finished a respectable sixth,

He’s one of the great unsung talents. Dare I say it, when he was racing in Formula Three, he made people, including Anthony Davidson, Jenson Button and some of those others look pretty ordinary.

FEATURE

but his performances the following season really forced people to take notice. Regularly challenging for the top five positions (he finished third in the US), Sato may well have been able to improve upon his final eighth place in the drivers’ championship had it not been for what Slater calls a “shocker” of a car. “He did what any F1 driver does, which is to drive the wheels off what you’re given,” Slater says. The following season is one Sato would likely prefer to forget. Plagued by everything from illness to team disqualification for using underweight cars, he saw out 2005 with just one point. With Button and Barrichello chosen as the two main drivers for 2006, Sato was offered the test driver’s slot. He declined. “To me, that was [going] backwards to remain in that team at that time,” he says. “I really didn’t feel that was the right move. That’s why I moved on.”

After being mired in the inevitable politics of the sport at BAR, Sato says the setup at Super Aguri, a new team on the grid, was the perfect match for him. “Even though they had a less competitive package, it was like a marriage,” he says. “If I requested something, they would try so hard to make it possible.” With limited funds, though, Super Aguri was always going to struggle. The team’s second season—with a vastly improved car—was infinitely better than its first. Sato finished sixth in Canada and eighth in Spain, but Super Aguri finally pulled out of Formula One following just four races of the 2008 season after failing to secure a financial backer. Despite an impressive test drive for Toro Rosso in 2008, Sato was denied a seat. Although he could possibly follow the path of many other former F1 drivers and join the Champ Car series in the US,

commentator Slater believes such a move would be a step down. “If he wants to, he could be in whatever he wanted,” he says. “But anything other than Formula One is a retrograde step. He could go to America and earn the dollars. He could most certainly get himself into a good Champ Car team, but why bother? You’re only going to prove that you can drive a Champ Car.” For now, while Sato waits for an opportunity to return to the sport that he has dreamed about since that cloudy November day at Suzuka more than 20 years ago, he says he can’t even contemplate doing anything else. “I can’t think about it. If it happens, then I will think about what else I can do. Until then, I don’t want to waste any energy.” ®

Takuma Sato www.takumasato.org

A Passion for Pace 33

GENKAN GALLERY All exhibits in the Genkan Gallery are for sale and can be purchased by Membership card at the Member Services Desk. Sales of works begin at 6 p.m. on the first day of the exhibition.

Tuan

Trinh by Karen Thomas

Years ago, acclaimed Vietnamese artist Tuan Trinh had an encounter with a close friend that influenced the path of his work considerably. His companion was obsessed that she was unattractive, and, since that time, Trinh has deliberately tried to depict inner beauty and the soul in his art. Whether two figures are joined in an embrace or turned away, Trinh has a remarkable ability to convey stories of love, loneliness, betrayal and emotion in his figurative lacquer works. Aesthetically rich and sophisticated, his creations explore the human experience with extraordinary insight. The 48-year-old artist uses mineral pigments, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, silver and gold leaf, eggshell and other elements to achieve a brilliant multidimensional effect on a two-dimensional surface. A selection of these expressive pieces will adorn the Genkan Gallery this month. The lacquer painting technique arrived in Vietnam around 1450, when an artist was sent to China to learn the art form. The meticulous process takes several months to complete, with as many as 20 layers of lacquer and other elements applied and polished to the template board. Even experienced artists have difficulties retaining total control of the colors and final result. Presently a professor at the Hanoi Industrial College of Fine Art, his alma mater, Trinh has exhibited extensively worldwide, including in China, Europe, Australia and the United States. His works belong to such notable collections as the National Gallery of Malaysia and the private collection of Norway’s crown prince. Trinh’s wife, Kim Hoa Cong, is also an accomplished lacquer artist.

Exhibition

January 11–February 7

34 January 2010 iNTOUCH

Getting

Connected

36 January 2010 iNTOUCH

TALKING HEADS For lovers of technology and cutting-edge telecommunications, Japan is a paradise. Besides boasting an enviable wireless network and thriving mobile phone market, the country is forging ahead with an ambitious plan to bring fiber-optic broadband Internet access to the entire archipelago by March 2011. Supported by generous government subsidies, Japan’s telecom giants like Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) and KDDI are busy spreading their high-speed networks across the nation. According to December 2008 figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, around 58 percent of households in Japan have broadband access (compared with 94 percent in South Korea) and about 48 percent of those users have a fiber-optic connection. While there is still plenty of work to be done, the telecom landscape in Japan has changed dramatically since deregulation of the telecommunications industry started in 1985 with the privatization of NTT. The country, which now has one of the best price-to-speed ratios for Internet access in the world, is regarded as the future of digital connectivity. Ted Iriye is the head of indirect sales at BT Global Services in Tokyo. iNTOUCH’s Nick Jones spoke with the Club Member about the fast-evolving telecommunications industry in Japan. Excerpts: Ted Iriye

iNTOUCH: How much effect did deregulation have on the telecommunications business in Japan? Iriye: Basically, you now have three major telecom carriers in Japan: about 50 percent [of the market] is controlled by NTT Communications, 35 percent by KDDI and maybe 15 percent by Softbank and others. And there’s really not much left for others to go after. To enter this country and compete against the top two is near impossible. iNTOUCH: How much competition did deregulation help create? Iriye: Only domestic competition. The mobile phone business really changed that because all it takes is to put up an antenna on a roof, but as far as the fixed-line business was concerned, there wasn’t going to be any wide-open competition. But if you look at other countries, it’s very similar. You know, BT in the UK had to form a company called Openreach. Since BT owns all the lines and towers across the UK, the competition said, “Hey, this is not fair. They charge us enduser price and not wholesale.” And so the government told BT to create a company to wholesale [its services] to everybody, including BT, at the same price. iNTOUCH: How about in Japan? Iriye: It’s not like the UK, but it’s getting there. NTT can’t monopolize anything anymore, and so if KDDI or Softbank needs something in terms of infrastructure, NTT Communications has to provide it. But today there is still a difference in what they would charge KDDI versus their own sales. iNTOUCH: Presumably, it’s now a better environment for the average consumer.

Iriye: Yes, absolutely. But I think telephony charges here are still high compared to other developed economies. Even when you don’t use anything, you get charged $30 or something monthly. And if you take out an Internet service, that’s about $60 more.

are heavy to use and you can’t service these by way of a wireless connection. Therefore, you’re going to need a fiber network all over the country. Wireless might have the capacity in the future, but for the foreseeable future you will need fiber optics everywhere.

iNTOUCH: Where has foreign competition had the most impact?

iNTOUCH: How does Japan’s wireless network compare with other countries?

Iriye: I hate to say it, but there hasn’t been very much. Even in the mobile business, Vodafone left Japan and happily got out of this market. It just takes too much money and too many years to become someone like IBM Japan. You need a fixed-line network for your data or voice services to do anything in telecommunications. To build that from scratch is just insane. No company is prepared to invest in something like that, not in Japan.

Iriye: I think Japan is the foremost nation in terms of use of the mobile phone. In the UK or US, most people use it to call, receive [calls] and text. But here in Japan, people do everything with their mobile phone, and the Japanese companies are catering to these needs.

iNTOUCH: The government is pursuing a vision of providing a nationwide fiberoptic broadband network. Some critics say the installation of fiber-optic cables is a waste of money. What are your thoughts? Iriye: The issue in Japan is that people don’t use computers that much at home. Many people actually forgo a broadband connection even if there is one available in their apartment because they have cell phones, which now run at broadband speed. So the fixed-fiber broadband network is really, in my mind, for industry and enterprises, not really home use. iNTOUCH: So is the government’s vision practical? Iriye: Maybe wireless broadband will be good enough to connect all the hospitals, clinics and peripheral services catering to this aging society, but many applications

iNTOUCH: Does this, therefore, spell the death of phone calls by landline in Japan? Iriye: Through a voice-switched network, yes, it’s going to disappear. I think the writing is on the wall. iNTOUCH: Where does the rise of Internet telephony technology and applications like Skype leave the likes of NTT? Iriye: Businesses like Skype are always going to get bigger, but the incumbent carriers are also going to be there to provide quality. Maybe Skype quality will dramatically improve, but there is a thing called “business-quality voice.” This cannot be served today over the Internet because you cannot guarantee throughput. You can enhance the quality at each end, but the Internet is a hodgepodge of different platforms and network equipment. Most business people don’t want to be cut off or have to repeat themselves, so there are always going to be these incumbent carriers that can provide a business-quality service. o Member insights on Japan 37

Coupled at the Club by Wendi Hailey

Two Members reminisce about growing up at the old Azabudai Club and celebrating pivotal life events there.

38 January 2010 iNTOUCH

REDEVELOPMENT

Irwin Wong

aul and Michie Yang stood, with beaming smiles, beside She said, ‘You can do whatever you want.’” a three-tiered white cake in the American Room. They The two women worked together to dazzle dozens of posed for photographs before cutting the first slice. guests with memorable cuisine and entertainment. Walking Dressed in a flowing, white strapless gown and black tuxedo, into the American Room for her wedding reception was an the newlyweds had just left their wedding unforgettable moment. ceremony at the Sophia University chapel “Ever since I was a child, I really on the mild afternoon of June 3, 2006. embraced the whole atmosphere of the Over the following few hours, the bride American Room,” she explains. “It was and groom ate, laughed, gave cheers and always a place where our families got danced with some 80 family members together and celebrated events. We and friends in the American Room before also loved spending our Sunday brunch retiring to the upstairs wine lounge for there. To do the wedding at the American further celebrations. Leaving the Club Room felt very nostalgic. To be able to around midnight, Paul, a Member since have everyone…unite at one place was childhood, was the last one out the door. very special.” “It’s always nice to be where you have After attending university in the United spent a lot of time with your family and States and living abroad for several years, Shigeki Koshiba and Grace Yang friends,” says Paul, 39, of the reception at both brother and sister eventually returned the Club’s former home in Azabudai. “To to Tokyo and settled near the rest of the be able to share the moments and reminisce family. Their parents and elder brother, our childhood during our wedding was who also held his wedding reception in truly special. It’s rather difficult to get Azabudai, still belong to the Club, giving that kind of similar experience in other the expanded family occasion to carry on wedding facilities all around Tokyo.” the decades of tradition into Takanawa at After inspecting a number of possible present and the bigger, sleeker facilities in places to hold the post-wedding festivities, Azabudai in the future. the couple decided that no hotel or The demolition of the former Club banquet hall could match the service, food was a milestone of mixed feelings for and familiarity of the Club’s signature the tight-knit family. “[I’m] very sad that restaurant. With several guests expected my favorite American Room will be gone Grace and Paul Yang from overseas, the outlet offered an ideal forever,” Grace says, “but also happy to fusion of Japanese and Western cultures. know the new place will be more dynamic, Paul’s parents, second-generation huge scaled and vibrant.” Koreans, had first joined the Club in 1976. “I see the need for a new facility,” adds Along with two elder brothers and younger Paul, who works in Tokyo’s real estate sisters, he spent his youth swimming, business. “But I can never say, ‘This is bowling, scoffing down hamburgers and where we had the wedding,’ because it will joining in Easter, Halloween and other be an entirely different building.” holiday activities in Azabudai. “TAC Now each with two young children played a tremendous role in our family of their own, Paul and Grace, along with life,” recalls his sister, Grace. their spouses, are eager to foster in the Nine months earlier, in September next generation the same bond with the Paul and Michie Yang 2005, she had made the same Club that they experienced growing up matrimonial circuit with her husband, within its familiar walls. longtime Member Shigeki Koshiba, albeit with their own “I hope that they will be able to spend much time with other personal flourishes. “It was exciting,” says the 36-year-old friends and families there,” Paul says of the new building slated psychotherapist. “[Wedding coordinator Chizuka Yamakita] to open early next year. “Who knows, maybe my kids will get and I met up to talk about the flowers, the food, everything. married there someday.” ®

The journey back to Azabudai 39

rewards

Get more for your Membership

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Keyshots-East West Photography We can bring our studio to your home. Start taking better photos now using your own camera! Private photography lessons available. www.keyshots.com Reward: Free 10 x 8 enlargement

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Meat Guy Happy 2010! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the year of the tiger. Tigers eat meat. We sell meat. You should buy meat from us! Tel: 052-618-3705 www.TheMeatGuy.jp Reward: Free steak spice with any order

Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) Established in 1982, Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), is a branch campus of the renowned Philadelphia-based academic institution. Besides a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, TUJ offers more than 200 professional and cultural classes, covering subjects as diverse as business, law, interior design and wine tasting, as part of its Continuing Education Program. Find out more at an information session on January 9. Classes start on January 18. Tel: 03-5441-9864 E-mail: conted@tuj.ac.jp www.tuj.ac.jp/cont-ed Reward: Entrance fee waived and 10% off tuition

United Dental Office Restorative, implant and cosmetic dentistry by US-trained and -licensed dentists. We treat adults and children. Tel: 03-5570-4334 www.uniteddentaloffice.com Reward: 40% discount on home bleaching

Annupuri Village Come visit your home in the mountains of Hokkaido at Annupuri Village. Luxurious chalets located just 150 meters from the gondola in the powder kingdom of Niseko. Tel: 0136-59-2111 www.annupurivillage.com Reward: 20% discount on accommodation

42 January 2010 iNTOUCH

TR A V EL

Oakwood Serviced Apartments Oakwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s serviced apartments in Tokyo combine the privacy and comfort of a luxury home with the benefits and services of a hotel. Based in Los Angeles, Oakwood Worldwide, which was started in the 1960s, is the largest provider of premier, furnished and unfurnished accommodations in the world. The Japan operation, set up in 2000, has eight properties in Tokyo and offers promotional rates for Tokyo American Club Members. Tel: 0120-313113 (toll-free)/03-5412-3131 www.oakwoodasia.com/en/japan/default.aspx Reward: Preferred rental rates with free Internet connection

MEMBER SERVICES

BODY

yokoso

A Cut Above Cut, color, perm, etc. for the entire family. English-speaking stylists. Find us in Hiroo, up the hill from Segafredo and National Azabu. Tel: 03-3441-7218 www.above.co.jp Reward: 10% off introductory services

Primary Care Tokyo Located in Shimokitazawa, Primary Care Tokyo provides medical services for adults and children. Consultations with a US physician in English or Japanese. National health insurance accepted. Appointments available. Tel: 03-5432-7177 www.pctclinic.com Reward: 10% discount on all vaccinations

new member profile

Louis & Evie Efron United States—Stryker Japan Holding K.K.

INTERIOR

Why did you decide to join the Club? “We are very excited about being Members of Tokyo American Club. We joined the Club to have an opportunity to meet and socialize with others in Japan and from around the world. We are a very active family and the Club will be a good place to do the type of activities we enjoy doing while making new friends at the same time. We look forward to meeting you soon!” (l–r) Anya, Louis and Evie Efron

A-Cross Corporation A wide variety of traditional Japanese byobu screens, handcrafted and painted in Kyoto. See our website for details or call us to arrange a viewing. Tel: 03-5449-7621 www.japanesescreens.net Reward: 10% discount

Carpet Doctor Carpets, oriental rugs, upholstery, mattresses or car seats—Tokyo’s licensed, English-speaking cleaning professionals can get the job done. Tel: 0120-520-225 E-mail: info@e-carpetdoctor.com www.e-carpetdoctor.com Reward: Free Biokleen natural cleaning products

new member profile

Michael & Debra McLaren Australia—McCann Erickson Japan, Inc.

Tokyo Lease Corporation Large collection of Asian, European and American furniture for sale and lease. Tel: 03-3585-5801 www.furniture-rental-tokyo.com Reward: 5% discount on items bought in the shop

“We are excited to join TAC. I had heard a lot of great things about it from several colleagues who are also Members, and the Tokyo: Here and How guide has been an invaluable resource as I have started to become familiar with the city and everything it has to offer. I am so impressed at the fact that this was a collaborative effort of the Women’s Group. I am looking forward to meeting some members of the group and saying thanks!” (l–r) Debra, Michael, Lachlan, Ashley and Morgan McLaren

L EG A L

Why did you decide to join the Club? Nakai Immigration Services LPC Serving the foreign community since 1992, we offer multilingual support in a range of areas, from the setting up of companies to the filing of applications at immigration bureaus. Tel: 03-6402-7654 (weekdays, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.) E-mail: info@tokyovisa.co.jp Reward: 25% discount on our handling charges (per person/per application) or ¥10,000 for each new client introduced

Services and benefits for Members 43

Chez Vous Serving the domestic needs of discerning foreign and Japanese clients in Tokyo and Yokohama. Services include housekeeping, babysitting, full-time placement, handyman and house-cleaning pro. Tel: 0120-699-100 www.chezvous.co.jp Reward: Check www.chezvous.co.jp/tac for special benefits

yokoso

HOM E

rewards

Eugene & Masayo Iwami United States—Bank of America Merrill Lynch Tomonori & Momoyo Tanigawa Japan—Hakone Yumoto Hotel

Ken Corporation Ltd. Being a resident of a Ken Corporation apartment gives you exclusive membership to the KEN Green Golf Club. Tel: 03-5413-5666 www.kencorp.com Reward: Special packages for Club Members

Rosalie Barsotti United States—Westinghouse Electric Japan Maho & Takehiko Furuya Japan—GNF Corporation

Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd. Luxury apartment brand La Tour promises you prime comfort and security. Good locations and beautiful views in the heart of Tokyo. Tel: 0120-770-507 www.sumitomo-latour.jp Reward: No agent’s fee

James & Connie Lo United States—KPMG AZSA & Co. Takao & Masako Sano Japan—Shiohama Shouji Co., Ltd. Shoji Nomura Japan—Nomura Jimusho, Inc.

AUTOMOTIVE

Audi Japan Sales Authorized Audi dealerships with Englishspeaking sales staff in Tokyo and Osaka. Tel: 03-6890-0123 (Noboyuki Kinushi) E-mail: int.sales@audi-sales.co.jp www.audi-sales.co.jp Reward: ¥50,000 Audi accessory voucher with new Audi purchase

Miki & Hajime Kanda Japan—SS Ltd. Company Alberto Loyo & Beatriz Pineda Mexico—Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.

Keitaro Sato Japan—Nomura Jimusho, Inc. Thomas Brown United States

Sven & Miki Stein Germany—Volkswagen Group Japan K.K. Yumiko Murakami & Todd Moses United States—Credit Suisse Securities (Japan) Ltd. John & Kimberly Valade United States—Corning Holding Japan G.K. Katsunori & Junko Sago Japan—Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd. Shoichi Ishii Japan—Tokyo Reito Co., Ltd. Joseph McCracken & Lisette Cullinane-McCracken United States—Roche Diagnostics K.K. Joseph & Mieko Draper United States—Joseph Draper Corporation Naoki & Yuri Toyoizumi Japan—Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co., Ltd.

sayonara BMW Tokyo Takanawa Authorized BMW dealer with a premium showroom in Takanawa. Tel: 03-3443-2291 www.bmw-tokyo.co.jp Reward: ¥50,000 travel coupon with every BMW purchase

DAD Narita Parking Heading overseas? DAD Narita Parking will pick up your vehicle at Narita Airport and keep it in a closely monitored, secure lot while you’re away. Tel: 0120-35-1462/0476-32-1955 www.dadparking.com/index-e.html Reward: 20% off basic charge

44 January 2010 iNTOUCH

Patrick Campbell-Golobardas &

Nick & Emma Heather

Allison Campbell

Nicholas & Suzanne Lewis

Craig Celniker & Sarah Simmons

Aaron & Naoko MacDougall

Mark & Miri Collis

Thomas & Marilyn Marsilio

Neel Dhamdhere

Michael Nauen & Pam Spencer

James & Keiko Foster

Kevin & Maxine Ramsey

Gero & Irene Froehlich

Joseph Rosner

Makoto & Tamie Goto

Russell & Dori Shaner

Yoshio Hara

Olivia Zimei Sun & Joe Jun Yang

Charles & Denise Harris

Kristy Ton

Steven & Minako Hawes

David Wilson & Geraldine Gibb

MEMBER SERVICES

employee

of the month

Yuko Yanagiya by Nick Jones

uko Yanagiya was 11 years old when she waved goodbye to her parents and boarded a plane for the United States, with no idea of what lay in store. She was met at the other end and whisked off to a private school in Vermont, where she remained for the duration of her Tokyo school holidays. “I didn’t even know what people were saying,” she says of the language barrier she confronted. “It was scary.” But after some classmates kindly helped her to find her footing in the strange, new environment, Yanagiya began to settle down and gradually pick up English. Yanagiya, 29, says she has never forgotten the welcome she was extended during those

weeks in the picturesque northeastern state. In fact, that period of her life has, in a small way, contributed to her current career choice. Working at the Club’s Member Services Desk, she says, is a way for her to show her appreciation. “Many people have helped me at school and along the way,” she says, explaining that she also received a lot of support during her five years of studies at Mount Ida College in Boston, Massachusetts. “I can’t ignore that and want to give back to people as a way of thanks.” Having joined the Club in November 2007 (exactly two years prior to winning the Employee of the Month award), Yanagiya

deals with a variety of Member inquiries, from requests for linguistic help to asking her advice on places to visit in Tokyo. “I think concierge work is good for me because I know Tokyo,” says Yanagiya, who was born and raised in the capital. Working in guest relations at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel prepared her well for her duties at the Club. Besides receiving training in service and etiquette, Yanagiya, who enjoys playing golf in her spare time, assisted many guests visiting from abroad. While not too many of them were lonely 11-year-olds, she was more than happy to offer a friendly smile and helping hand, all the same. ®

Some restrictions apply. Ask for details.

• Laser hair removal • Botox • Restylane • Retin-A • Liposuction, Eye, Nose, Breast, Facelift, Tummy Tuck • Laser (Titan, Genesis, Hair Removal, Tattoo, IPL) • Men’s (ED, AGA)

Services and benefits for Members 45

reciprocal

clubs

Being a Member of Tokyo American Club allows you access to a network of more than 200 reciprocal clubs across the globe. For a full listing of reciprocal clubs worldwide, check out www.tokyoamericanclub.org.

The Granite Club Location: Toronto, Canada Founded: 1875 Members: 11,000

This club, located on a 22-acre plot near Don Valley since 1972, is a true reflection of its evolving membership. Established by six well-known local men to house a clubhouse and two ice rinks, the institution now claims Canada’s “most complete and well-equipped athletic facilities” staffed by world-class champions. Two 25-meter swimming pools, summer and winter tennis courts, indoor skating rink, squash and badminton courts, winter golf dome and curling facility are available for the sports-minded. Others can find dining options and activities to suit every interest.

www.graniteclub.com

The Standard Club Location: Chicago, Illinois Founded: 1869 Members: 1,400

Situated in Chicago’s bustling downtown Loop area, this club has attracted exemplary community and business leaders for 140 years. The traditionally Jewish institution invites members from all backgrounds to indulge in its range of seasonal culinary creations, athletic facilities (including an indoor pool, basketball gymnasium and spa lounge) and social events. In addition to its 60 luxuriant overnight rooms, the club offers exclusive previews and behind-the-scenes access to the Second City’s cultural highlights, as well as childcare services and a kids’ movie library.

www.stclub.org

stacks of services at the Club

André Bernard Beauty Salon

Spica

Go Mobile Phone Rental

MyToyota.jp

UPS

Hair care for adults and kids, manicure, pedicure, waxing and more. Tel: 03-4588-0685 Family Area (2F) Tue–Sun: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

The Club’s professional shoe repair and polishing service. Tel: 03-4588-0670 Family Area (1F) Sundays: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Need a rental mobile phone or help with translation? Want to find useful English mobile sites? Go Mobile—more than just a phone. www.gomobile.co.jp

English support for all your Toyota and Lexus needs. Available services: Q&A by e-mail; dealer visit assistance; and translation of estimates, contracts and other related documents. www.mytoyota.jp/english

For all your delivery needs, the express counter offers discounts to Members. Family Area (1F) Weekdays: 2–6 p.m.

46 January 2010 iNTOUCH

New & Used car purchase Lease and finance Insurance Used cars bought Maintenance

Your Car-Life Concierge

English Line

03-5573-8776

www.autodirect.jp info@autodirect.jp

Open: 10 a.m.–7 p.m Closed: Mondays #101 1-13-2 Higashi-Azabu Minato-ku, TOKYO

Future TAC

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oxy concrete apartment buildings have come to symbolize Japan nearly as much as sushi and sumo. Following the end of World War II, these garish and drab structures began springing up in large numbers along the outskirts of the nation’s larger cities to meet the surging demand of a growing population. Yet, it’s these uninspiring blocks that have perversely inspired renowned architect Kengo Kuma. Proof of this can be found in his work on the recently reconstructed Nezu Museum in Tokyo. “I wanted to create a huge roof,” Kuma says. “I attempted to connect people and the ground once again with the roof.” Much like a farmhouse, an arched roof

majored in architecture at the University of Tokyo before studying at Columbia University in New York, blended a minimalist feel with Japanese cultural touches rooted in nature, an approach that has become the architect’s trademark. His preference for natural aesthetics is also on display at the Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo Midtown, whose interior exudes warmth through an emphasis on wood and paper, and in his prefabricated houses for retailer Muji. The small domiciles are designed to redirect sunlight through the interior. Kuma says that he wanted to achieve a similar effect with the new Nezu, despite it being a steel-framed structure. “Although

“I treated the museum as a kind of gate connecting the city and the sacred garden of the museum,” explains Kuma, who likens the bamboo corridor to the kind often found leading to ceremonial tearooms. “I tried to calm down the bustling air of Omotesando, which is one of the liveliest shopping streets in Japan, with the gate. It plays the same role that a torii does for a shrine.” The new 4,000-plus-square-meter museum contains a sampling of the 7,000 paintings, works of calligraphy, scrolls, sculptures, ceramics and bamboo crafts that make up the Nezu’s collection. The six galleries, a substantial increase over the two in the previous incarnation, employ

Back to Nature by Brett Bull

rises up to the height of two floors and extends roughly 50 meters laterally over the length of the museum’s main building, which occupies part of a long block in the swanky Minami Aoyama area of the city and is home to a substantial collection of traditional Japanese and Asian works of art. “The beautiful shadows created by roofs were destroyed by post-war Japan’s concrete-box architecture,” says Kuma, 55. “Shadows link architecture to the ground and give comfort to the architecture and warmth to the city.” For the three-and-a-half-year project, completed last October, Kuma, who

48 January 2010 iNTOUCH

concrete is used in the structure,” he explains, “it doesn’t appear in the parts visible from the outside. The building is supported by solid steel pillars which create an overall scale similar to that of a wood structure.” Furthering this concept is an exterior that features a long entrance corridor beneath an eave of the roof whose edge is fronted by a line of bamboo and stones. At the museum’s doors, guests enter a vaulted atrium filled with Buddhist sculptures and bounded by large panes of glass that offer a view of the Nezu’s expansive gardens— 1.8 hectares of greenery, pathways, ponds, waterfalls, stone bridges and teahouses.

top-of-the-line technologies. Display cases are illuminated with light-emitting diodes to provide a subdued setting. Sound intrusion is reduced through specially constructed cork floorings and ceilings covered in cloth. The museum intends to rotate pieces from its collection over the course of the first year. Many of the sculptures, such as those occupying the atrium, and other select pieces, however, will remain in place. Among the museum’s holdings are seven national treasures, 87 important cultural properties and 96 important art objects. Korin Ogata’s “Irises” is one of those

INSIDE JAPAN

death in 1940, it was converted into a modest museum. In the 1950s, a conventional gallery was built, and subsequent additions and improvements were completed up through the early part of the last decade. In recent times, however, maintenance of the aging structures became an issue. Koichi Nezu, the current director and grandson of the founder, oversaw the makeover, which also included a name change (the museum was formerly known as the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts). The Nezu’s new logo is the rendering of the letters “N” and “M” with sections of bamboo, a design by German creative agency Peter Schmidt.

It is no secret that developers in Japan prefer a scrap-and-build cycle, a process that oftentimes places financial reward ahead of history. Kuma says he would like to see a trend develop where the younger generation of architects appreciates the value of the past. “I believe that the cities of Japan will gradually retrieve good qualities of the old days,” he says, “and I designed the Nezu museum to hopefully further that movement.” ® Nezu Museum www.nezu-muse.or.jp

A look at culture and society 49

Kengo Kuma

national treasures. Dating back to the 18th century, the work depicts a panorama of irises spreading across a pair of gold foil screens. “It is one of my most favorite works of art in Japan,” Kuma says. “As an architect, I have been greatly influenced by the technique of showing the depth of space with limited elements, and this is indeed reflected in the approach to the construction of the space at Nezu.” Such attentiveness would likely have been approved by the Nezu’s founder, Kaichiro Nezu I, a former president of Tobu Railway and a tea ceremony enthusiast. His residence was used to display, among other things, his collection of ornate 18th-century Chinese clocks and tea paraphernalia. Following his

he bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto passes through a fair amount of flyover country: the gray-white industrial blur between Yokohama and Nagoya that is occasionally broken by patches of emerald-colored rice fields. Lake Biwa is also outside the window, but the train tracks run several kilometers from Japan’s largest body of fresh water. The few foreign travelers who get off at Maibara in Shiga Prefecture, though, are rewarded with some surprisingly alluring vestiges of old Japan. One stop from Maibara is the nostalgic castle town of Hikone on Lake Biwa’s shores. The Ii clan of samurai lords ruled this strategic post town between Kyoto and the Hokuriku region for more than 200 years until Naosuke Ii signed the landmark 1858 treaty that opened Japan to trade with America. That cost him his life at the hands of ultra-nationalists, but, fortunately for modern-day visitors, Hikone Castle was spared a similar fate in the ensuing orgy of violence. Erected under the Tokugawa shogunate over 20 years, chalkwhite Hikone Castle is known as one of the four most beautiful fortresses in Japan. Its three-tiered keep, designated a national treasure, has not been rebuilt since the 17th century and is a rare architectural treat of original construction. Framed by cherry trees, the castle is particularly spellbinding in spring. The castle, a 15-minute walk from JR Hikone Station, is small enough to be toured in about half an hour, but you might want to linger in its excellent museum of samurai arms and artifacts of the Ii clan. To the southeast is Yumekyobashi Castle Road, a line of some 50 traditional shops and eateries that evoke the shophouses of the Edo period. Another lakeside castle can be found in the charming city of Nagahama, about 10 kilometers north of Hikone on the JR Hokuriku Line, or around an hour from Kyoto. Quite off the beaten track, Nagahama is known for its chirimen silk crêpe and has several

Lakeside Break by Tim Hornyak worthwhile attractions. The station itself is a remarkable 19thcentury building made of stone. The best spot is Kurokabe Square (Black Wall Square), a collection of around 30 white plaster studios and shops from the Edo period that sell glass products. The main draw is Kurokabe Glass Shop, a reconstruction of Kurokabe Ginko built a century ago. It features a curious array of glass products from around the world. The neighborhood here around Gobo Daitsu Temple is lined with beautiful canals and tranquil lanes. Most people come to Nagahama for April’s Hikiyama Festival, designated as an intangible cultural asset. Residents haul richly crafted dashi floats through the streets of the city. Unlike most matsuri in Japan, the stars of this show are young boys who enact parts of celebrated Kabuki plays aboard the floats at Hachimangu Shrine. The festival has its origins in a gift of gold presented to the people of Nagahama by warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi in celebration of the birth of his son. If you miss the festival, you can always see 50 January 2010 iNTOUCH

OUT & ABOUT

Around two hours, 15 minutes by bullet train from Tokyo Station to Maibara Station. Change to the JR Hokuriku Line for the nine-minute journey to Nagahama Station.

www

Nagahama City www.city.nagahama.shiga.jp Shiga Prefecture www.pref.shiga.jp Hikone City www.city.hikone.shiga.jp Hikone Sightseeing Association www.hikoneshi.com (Japanese language only)

Nagahama Kurokabe Square www.kurokabe.co.jp (Japanese language only) Kaiyodo Figure Museum www.ryuyukan.net (Japanese language only) Nagahama Hikiyama Museum www.nagahama-hikiyama.or.jp (Japanese language only) A Journey to Lake Biwa http://info.biwako-visitors.jp/ biwakonotabi/english/index.html

NAGAHAMA LAKE BIWA HIKONE

KYOTO

Lake Biwa Museum www.lbm.go.jp

Hikone 400th Anniversary www.hikone-400th.jp (Japanese language only)

detail. There are resin models of Godzilla, Ultraman, Tiger Mask, Evangelion and many other stars of the constellations of Japanese pop culture. Although there are no explanations in English, you don’t need much background info to appreciate the craftsmanship that has gone into producing the exhibits. On your way back to the station, try to catch the sun setting over Lake Biwa. A great spot is Ho Park, surrounding Nagahama Castle. The castle isn’t nearly as enchanting as Hikone’s, but it’s still worth a look. The keep was razed in 1615, and the present concrete reconstruction dates back only to 1983. The surrounding cherry and pine trees, though, are the ideal setting for a lakeside stroll. And if you still haven’t had your fill of castle remains, Shiga Prefecture boasts some 1,300 more ruins. ®

Explorations beyond the Club 51

some of the gorgeously decorated floats at the Nagahama Hikiyama Museum in the town center. Nagahama isn’t all about traditional Japanese culture, though. It’s on the must-visit list of contemporary pop culture addicts for its Kaiyodo Figure Museum, an astounding tribute to Japan’s love affair with modeling the real world and realms of the imagination in plastic. Kaiyodo, which was founded in 1964, specialized in shokugan (plastic prizes that come with food or candy) before it started catering to otaku fans of anime, manga and video games. Visitors to the museum are treated to a free plastic toy before viewing more than 200 miniature dioramas and thousands of freestanding figures ranging from cute, anime-style girls to martialarts heroes, robots, insects and dinosaurs, all rendered in incredible

An Evening of Gagaku October 27

Former imperial court musician Hideaki Bunno, accompanied by two contemporaries, brought the sounds of gagaku to the Club for a memorable night of centuries-old tradition. The well-attended public program, organized by the Culture Committee, featured three performances, an overview of the different instruments and musical forms and a question-and-answer segment. “It was a very informative and enjoyable evening,” says Member Kiran Nangia. “It was an honor to be in the presence of such well-reputed musicians.” Photos by Yuuki Ide 1. (l–r) Shogo Anzai, Nagao Ohkubo and Hideaki Bunno

52 January 2010 iNTOUCH

EVENT EVENT ROUNDUP ROUNDUP

Snapshots from Club occasions 53

54 January 2010 iNTOUCH

EVENT ROUNDUP

Fright Fest October 31

More than 230 pintsized ghosts and goblins headed to Takanawa for plenty of Halloween tricks and treats. In a parade of colorful costumes, children (and parents) enjoyed movies, face painting, games, crafts and other eerie entertainment throughout the day. Photos by Ken Katsurayama

Snapshots from Club occasions 55

English Essay Contest Reception

November 3

Five finalists in the Club’s third annual English Essay Contest were invited to attend a special dinner in the New York Suite along with their families, teachers, Members and distinguished guests. Two grand prize winners, Noriyo Suzuki of Sacred Heart High School and Fuyuko Kawakami of Tokyo Metropolitan Hakuo High School, were each awarded a ¥500,000 university scholarship, which was presented by US Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer Dale Largent. Photos by Yuuki Ide

1. (front left to right) Mami Tanaka, Ann Ebrecht and Fuyuko Kawakami with her family 2. Scott Hancock 3. Takahiko Murakami (left) of contest sponsor Nikkei, Inc and Club General Manager Michael Bumgardner 4. Noriyo Suzuki with US Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer Dale Largent 5. (l–r) Club President Lance E Lee, Noriyo Suzuki, Fuyuko Kawakami, Naoko Shigeta, Yuka Kono, Misako Takahashi, JoAnn Yoneyama and Scott Hancock

56 January 2010 iNTOUCH

EVENT EVENT ROUNDUP ROUNDUP

Hakkaisan Sake Brewery Tour November 7

An autumn escape to a premium sake brewery in Niigata proved tantalizing for 20 Members and guests. The group toured the factory, learned about the brewing process, sampled drinks and enjoyed a lunch of local dishes and sake in Hakkaisan’s traditional guesthouse. Afterward, participants visited a kimono fabric factory and saw a hand-weaving demonstration. “[My husband] Craig and I thoroughly enjoyed the Hakkaisan Brewery tour and we would definitely consider taking the tour again,” says Member Laurie Joyner. Photos by Miki Ohyama 1. (l–r) Jiro Nagumo, CEO of Hakkaisan, with Kazu Ohyama, Kathy Urquhart, Jutta Rieger, Kikuko Tanaka, Rita Rieger, Craig Joyner, Eugenia Mindlin, Laurie Joyner, Andrew Russell, Steven Dixon, Bianca Russell, Alan Mindlin, Julie Dixon, Simon Truss, James Dixon, Peter Aiello, Leanne Palmer, Miki Ohyama, Masako Uehara, Gary Urquhart and Hakkaisan interpreter Makiko McLellan 2. Steven and Julie Dixon, Yoshiki Mori and Simon Truss 3. Kathy and Gary Urquhart and Peter Aiello

Club Squash Championship November 23

The annual Squash Championship featured a full month of vigorous competition on the courts among the Club’s top players. Member Nelson Graves (pictured left) beat out runner-up Santiago Bargagna (right) in the final round for the championship title on November 23.

Snapshots from Club occasions 57

Tour de Vin November 23

Wine lovers grabbed their “passports” and took a tasty journey through France’s famed wine-producing regions. Winemakers from Hugel & Fils, Château de Beaucastel, Pol Roger and Château Palmer awaited voyagers in the transformed third-floor venues with spectacular vintages from the areas. “The Tour de Vin event was one of the best wine events I’ve attended at the Club,” says Wine Committee chair Mark Baxter. “The opportunity of having four prominent winemakers at one event is rare, and the Club staff obviously put a lot of time and effort into preparing the rooms and food that were paired with each of the winemakers’ wines.” Photos by Yuuki Ide 1. Etienne Hugel 2. (l–r) Etienne Hugel, Marc Perrin, Hubert de Billy and Thomas Duroux

58 January 2010 iNTOUCH

EVENT ROUNDUP

Annual General Meeting November 24

The Club’s annual meeting brought 80 attending Members up to speed on the year’s occurrences, including reports on the ongoing Redevelopment Project in Azabudai and the election of eight governors. Afterward, Club leaders were recognized for their hard work on the Board and the many committees. Photos by Yuuki Ide

1. (l–r) Recreation Department Director Scott Yahiro, Brian Nelson and Nick Masee 2. Club President Lance E Lee with Thomas Brown 3. (l–r) Nancy Nussbaum, Reiko Oshima and Bonnie Corwin 4. (l–r) Jerry Rosenberg, Amane Nakashima, Ira Wolf, Dan Thomas, Mary Saphin, Rod Nussbaum and Brian Nelson 2

Snapshots from Club occasions 59

TOKYO MOMENTS

Miniskirts and Motors by Gaby Sheldon Illustration by Akiko Saito

o, tell me, what makes your tires so special?” “Er, sorry, I don’t speak any English,” replied the sales representative in perfect English. With my attempt at serious journalism at the Tokyo Motor Show proving a non-starter, I quickly decided to spend the afternoon people-watching, rather than car-watching. And I wasn’t alone. While the Tokyo Motor Show is one of the premier events on the automotive calendar, the models most of the male journalists had their eyes on were certainly not the ones with four wheels. These models wore miniskirts and saccharine smiles and draped their bodies suggestively over car hoods and motorbikes. At one stand, there were throngs of photographers trying to snap a leather-clad girl who looked like she had taken a wrong turn on her way to Roppongi. It was actually my husband who had suggested that we go to the Motor Show at Makuhari Messe in the first place. As someone for whom it took 10 years and four instructors to pass her driving test (in an automatic), it wouldn’t have even occurred to me to find out when the show was on, let alone to actually attend. Then, suddenly, my husband had to go to Hong Kong for work and I found myself in a large hall surrounded by cars. “Can I interest you in a fire extinguisher?” proffered a bespectacled sales rep, interrupting my reverie. Spotting a likely candidate for a car crash, he had swooped down and was now waving a small, red canister in my face. I did my best to sound enthusiastic. “Sugoi!” I exclaimed in faux amazement. Graciously taking the DVD he was offering, I made a mental note to try to look a little more like I knew what I was doing there. After about an hour, I must have started giving off an “at-homeat-a-car-show” aura, since I was approached by another man, this time wielding a TV camera. He wanted to interview me for a wellknown (apparently) Argentinean TV channel. This was not how I had imagined my big break into television. “I don’t know anything about cars,” I protested. “I’m not even a very good driver.” “What exactly are you doing here?” he asked. “Good question.” But the more I objected, the keener he became. “But I haven’t even done my hair,” I said. “Look, lady, let’s just get this over with,” the man urged. “OK, OK, I’m ready.” “So, what do you think of the Tokyo Motor Show?” “It’s just soooo interesting,” I said. “I just love all these eco-cars.” “Say goodbye to the viewers.” “Hola!” “Actually, it’s ‘Adiós.’” “Sorry. Adiós. Could I just say hi to Grandma Lil in Florida?” After recovering my composure, I asked him why, of all the journalists here, he had approached me. “None of the Japanese ones speak any English,” he explained. “Don’t be fooled,” I thought. ®

60 January 2010 iNTOUCH

毎月一回一日発行

TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB

第四十三巻二十七号

トウキョウアメリカンクラブ

iNTOUCH January 2010

i N T O U C H

インタッチマガジン二〇十〇一月一日発行

TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB

平成三年十二月二十日第三種郵便物許可定価八００円本体七七七円

Turbocharged Career

Japan’s most successful Formula One driver, Takuma Sato, talks about life in the fast lane

Issue 538 • January 2010

Something Old. . .

Wired Nation

Fostering a Home

Two weddings tie one family’s history to Azabudai

A tech-savvy Member talks the future of communication

One Tokyo shelter benefits from Women’s Group support